Back when Bethesda unveiled The Elder Scrolls 6 teaser trailer at E3 2018, the studio was fairly forthcoming about the fact that the next installment in the beloved RPG franchise is still years away from release. Nowadays, some fans are becoming a bit disillusioned with the wait, with one of them recently taking online to voice their frustration after completing a lengthy military contract while waiting for The Elder Scrolls 6 to come out.
This Friday will mark the 11th anniversary of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, which is still the latest game in the long-running franchise, at least not accounting for The Elder Scrolls Online, which wasn't developed by Bethesda. Four years ago, Bethesda Executive Producer Todd Howard said that the studio is planning to focus its resources on The Elder Scrolls 6 once it wraps up the development of Starfield. While the space-faring RPG was initially scheduled to debut on November 11, Bethesda delayed Starfield back in May and is currently targeting a release in the first half of 2023. So, as things stand right now, The Elder Scrolls 6 is still in pre-production.
Meanwhile, Reddit user LiamFoster51 joined the U.S. Air Force just before Bethesda confirmed The Elder Scrolls 6 will be happening. While they have already completed their four-year contract by now, the studio hasn't even finished Starfield, let alone started released TES 6, which prompted the fan to share this anecdote online. Another fan joked that they should rejoin the military for another four years and repost their grievances, though given Bethesda's track record, the likelihood of TES 6 releasing by 2026 is indeed already looking fairly slim.
The expectations surrounding The Elder Scrolls 6 have somewhat evolved since its 2018 announcement. Most notably on account of Microsoft acquiring Bethesda and the rest of Zenimax Media as part of a 2020 deal valued at $7.5 billion. After the transaction went through the following year, Xbox chief Phil Spencer effectively confirmed that The Elder Scrolls 6 is no longer planned to release on PlayStation.
As for the game, itself, there's still not much beyond rumors to go on. According to some insider reports, TES 6 could take place in High Rock, the Northwestern province of the fictional continent of Tamriel which hasn't been explored by any 3D game in the series to date.
Regardless, the wait continues. If Starfield's elongated development cycle is any indication, The Elder Scrolls 6 might not hit the market until 2030. By that time, Bethesda fans may not be as forgiving as they were with Skyrim.
The Elder Scrolls 6 is in development.