The Elder Scrolls VI remains yet unnamed years after a 30-second teaser aired in 2018. Not much information has been released about the forthcoming entry in the renowned fantasy series, but that hasn't stopped fans from concocting theories on what is yet to come anyway.
Based on snippets from interviews, rumors, and of course, the footage unveiled at E3 2018, fans think they have a good idea of what's next to come in the franchise. Not much about the game is confirmed, but one thing is for certain: fans of The Elder Scrolls series are practically foaming at the mouth for more information nearly 3 years on.
Updated January 9, 2022 by Erik Petrovich: The Elder Scrolls VI is rumored to be released in quite a long time - a statement that Bethesda has kept to every year since the original announcement in 2018. Currently, it's expected to release far after the release of Starfield, which comes out later in 2022. Development hasn't even started yet, if rumors are to be trusted, and thus there's nothing for fans of the series to do but theorize about what's to come. It could take place in the far-off future, or the distant past, but if anything is guaranteed it's that fans will have to wait at for the team to turn their attention back to The Elder Scrolls after 2022.
11 It Might Be Based In Black Marsh...
Black Marsh is the homeland of the Argonians, and a place rife with cultural diversity and dense with mystery. We have never seen Black Marsh in a main entry in the series, but it is a visitable location in The Elder Scrolls Online.
Fans think Black Marsh could be the next location for an Elder Scrolls game based on wetlands seen in the distance in the E3 trailer, as well as hints throughout the series that great world-changing events took place in the Argonian jungles.
10 ...But It's More Likely To Be In Hammerfell
Hammerfell is the homeland of the Redguard people, and most fans think all signs are pointing towards this area being the location for The Elder Scrolls VI. While what little has been shown of the game bears some resemblance to Black Marsh, most fans believe the rolling tan hills in the teaser are from the Redguard homeland.
Hammerfell, like Black Marsh, is visitable in The Elder Scrolls Online. If this is indeed the location of the next main Elder Scrolls installment, it will likely take place during a different age than shown in the MMO.
9 The Player Won't Be At The Center Of It All
Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim all share one distinct narrative feature: the player is always at the center of it all, interconnected with the fate of the world itself. In Morrowind, the player was the Nerevarine. In Oblivion, they were responsible for ending the Oblivion Crisis, and of course, in Skyrim the player is the Dovahkiin.
Fans believe the series will go back to a classic RPG structure, where the player doesn't have to choose to save the world, to expand the availability of choice and customization in the world.
8 Some Fans Think The Player Could Be A Hortator
A Hortator is an elected head of one of the Great Houses chosen to deal with extreme danger, in many ways much like the Nerevarine. The Nerevarine is the reincarnation of Indoril Nerevar, the King of the Chimer who was murdered by the Tribunal, foretold by Ashlander prophecy. A Hortator, on the other hand, could be anybody from one of the five Great Houses of Morrowind, but they must be unanimously chosen to receive the position's benefits.
Funnily enough, Indoril Nerevar was a Hortator, but it is still a separate role from the Nerevarine as the Nerevarine requires reincarnation. If the player is indeed at the center of it all, it might be interesting to see them be the leader of a Great House of the Dark Elves, though Morrowind has already been pretty thoroughly explored at this point.
7 Classic RPG Features Will Come Back
Skyrim and other recent Bethesda games have lacked something crucial to an engaging RPG: options. Oblivion was less complicated than Morrowind, and Skyrim was certainly more streamlined than Oblivion.
Given the recent industry trends towards difficult-but-rewarding gameplay and complex systems in video games, it is likely that The Elder Scrolls VI will feature old favorite spells that only serve RP uses, and will hopefully make the combat much more complicated.
6 It Will Be A Prequel, Set Before Any Other Elder Scrolls Title...
The Elder Scrolls series takes place over eons of time in the world of Tamriel. There have been countless historical events referenced in multiple games (like the Battle of Red Mountain) that the players haven't gotten to take part in.
Capitalizing on the series' ancient lore by letting players experience it directly would be a great narrative decision. Elder Scrolls Online already achieves this in some ways as it is set in the second era, though the MMO formula isn't for everyone. If we're lucky, we might even get to see the Dwemer at their height.
5 ...Or It Could Be Set In The Far-Off Future
On the other hand, the next Elder Scrolls game could take place in the far-off future of Tamriel, long past the time of the Last Dragonborn. Elder Scrolls Online serves as the largest timeline jump in the series being set in the 2nd era, 1000 years before Skyrim, and it is completely feasible that the next game will take place in the 5th era or beyond.
Most Elder Scrolls games take place in about the same time period – every mainline game except Skyrim happens towards the tail end of the 3rd Era, and Skyrim is set only a hundred or so years after Oblivion. A view into the far-distant future of the Elder Scrolls universe would let writers establish something completely new, totally unrelated to the events of Skyrim and otherwise.
4 There Probably Won't Be Any Dragons
Skyrim was a unique Elder Scrolls game for its inclusion of multiple different types of dragons that the player must face. They were a constant threat, but they only really appear in Skyrim and no other entries in the series.
Because of this, don't get your hopes up for killing more dragons any time soon. If the world of The Elder Scrolls 6 is large enough, they might make an appearance, but Skyrim is just about the only place they are found on the continent.
3 There Will Be Built-In Mod Support
The launch of Bethesda's Creation Club had many players concerned over the future of mod support in future Elder Scrolls titles. However, the long-term success of Skyrim and Oblivion is almost entirely thanks to the huge modding communities that were supported by the developers.
If The Elder Scrolls VI doesn't launch with extensive modding support, it might be dead in the water. When games get stale, mods bring them back to life, and no series is more indicative of that fact than The Elder Scrolls.
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1 It Will Be Released In 2025 (Or Even Later)
The initial announcement of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was on December 11, 2010, and the game was released just about a year later on November 11, 2011. Back then, there was no pandemic to contend with, and the game actually had a title and additional informational releases available. Skyrim was Bethesda's primary focus, but their attention for at least the next year will be on their upcoming sci-fi RPG Starfield.
We don't even have a title for The Elder Scrolls VI beyond its numerical placement in the series. Bethesda hasn't moved past the design stage, either, mostly because the team has been busy with Starfield for the last few years. It's safe to say that it will be released in very late 2025 or early 2026, given the development cycle of previous Elder Scrolls games – and that's being hopeful.