The Elder Scrolls 6 Is Officially in Early Development, Bethesda Confirms

Bethesda is currently focused on Starfield, and therefore, further information about The Elder Scrolls 6 is years away.

Written by Rahul Chettiyar, Edited by Manas Mitul | Updated: 31 August 2023 14:18 IST

The Elder Scrolls 6 Is Officially in Early Development, Bethesda Confirms

Photo Credit: Bethesda Softworks

The Elder Scrolls VI will be built using the Creation Engine 2

Highlights

Phil Spencer claimed in June that The Elder Scrolls 6 is 5+ years away
Both Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6 were revealed at the 2018 E3 event
Starfield launches September 6 on PC, Xbox Series S/X, Xbox Game Pass

The Elder Scrolls VI is now in early development, Bethesda has confirmed. Speaking to Spanish publication Vandal, Bethesda's Head of Publishing Pete Hines confirmed that while the hype for Starfield draws ever so close, some developers at the studio have been working on the Tamriel fantasy sequel, which has now left the pre-production stage. Both Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6 were revealed at the 2018 E3 event, with the former sci-fi RPG being way ahead in the release pipeline. For now, Bethesda is fully focused on its launch and potential post-launch support, and therefore, it'll be at least a few years before we hear any new details about TES 6.

“We have put all of our studio's focus on making this game the best it can be,” Hines said in the interview (translation from a ResetEra post). “And yes, there are people working on The Elder Scrolls VI, but this is what the studio has focused on. So no, you are not going to hear early about The Elder Scrolls 6.” The timeline matches Xbox head Phil Spencer's testimony during Microsoft's trial against the US FTC in June, where he claimed that the game was at least five plus years away and that he wasn't sure of what platforms it would be out on. Clearly, PC and Xbox would be the main platforms, considering Microsoft had acquired Bethesda's parent company ZeniMax for a $7.5 billion (about Rs. 61,990 crore) deal in 2020.

However, Spencer's statement also makes it seem as if The Elder Scrolls 6 might not launch on the Xbox Series S/X. During the same trial, Microsoft stated that the next generation of gaming consoles — both from them and Sony — should be out in 2028, which kind of aligns with the time Spencer claims TES 6 will be ready. “It's the same team that's finishing Starfield, which comes out this September,” he said during the hearing.

The Xbox Series S has already been causing issues for developers due to its technical limitations — a recent example being Baldur's Gate 3, where developer Larian Studios is struggling to include split-screen co-op on the less-expensive console. The Xbox version is slated to launch sometime later this year.

Coming back to The Elder Scrolls 6, Bethesda has been pretty tight-lipped about details, with a 2021 interview revealing that it will be using the overhauled Creation Engine 2 for development. The same engine is used for the upcoming Starfield game, which has recently been subject to drama due to some leaks that caused fans to be concerned about its scope in exploration and any possible invisible walls. As per director Todd Howard, the game is best described as ‘Skyrim in space' and happens to be Bethesda's first new universe in 25 years, taking you on a futuristic journey to explore 2330 outer space, its planets, and inhabitants. From humble beginnings as a space miner, the player will join Constellation — the last group of space explorers seeking rare artefacts throughout the galaxy.

Currently, there is no solid release window for The Elder Scrolls VI. Meanwhile, Starfield is out September 6 on PC and Xbox Series S/X.

What are the most exciting titles that gamers can look forward to in 2023? We discuss some of our favourites on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Starfield

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Good
Massive scale
Immersive side stories
Strong role-playing foundation
Great art design
Satisfying dogfights

Bad
Extremely slow start
Unoriginal main story
Robotic animations and voice acting
Fast travel-based space exploration
Boring on-foot planet exploration
Horrible surface map

Read detailed Bethesda Starfield review

Genre RPG

Platform Xbox Series S/X, PC: Windows

Modes Single-player

PEGI Rating 18+

More Bethesda Games

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