Fans have been waiting for news about The Elder Scrolls 6 ever since the game was announced at E3 2018. While it has been reported that the next game in the studio's famous fantasy series will come after the release of Starfield, Bethesda's upcoming sci-fi RPG, the studio continues to hold back any details about the next Elder Scrolls game.
Last week, one leaker who has been reliable in the past hinted at several mechanics which might debut in The Elder Scrolls 6. One of those mechanics — a feature called Rune Drawing — could have huge implications for The Elder Scrolls 6 in virtual reality.
The Elder Scrolls 6 Leaks
Tiffany Treadmore is a video game leaker whose resume includes correctly leaking the cancellation of last year's E3 and the cancellation of Nintendo Direct. Last week it was reported that Tiffany Treadmore's sources had claimed that The Elder Scrolls 6 would likely include "survival mechanics" as well as raising the possibility that a feature named "Rune Drawing" could make it into the game.
Bethesda has added all-new mechanics to its flagship franchises in the past. Fallout 4 introduced a settlement building mechanic unlike any seen in previous Bethesda Fallout games, for example. Introducing survival mechanics to The Elder Scrolls 6 will likely be relatively straightforward. There are plenty of well-known Skyrim survival mods like Frostfall which manage survival based on factors like weather and clothing coverage.
Rune Drawing may be a feature seen in games like Okami HD where players draw shapes in the air in order to cast spells. Whether this is exactly what the leakers are referring to, and how this mechanic would work in The Elder Scrolls 6 if it is included, remains to be seen.
When Skyrim released back in 2011, modern VR was still in its infancy, and Skyrim itself wouldn't get an official VR port until six years after its initial release. VR technology has come a long way since then, however. With The Elder Scrolls 6 rumored to be set for release around 2026, the next game could be the first in The Elder Scrolls series to fully incorporate features designed with virtual reality in mind. Skyrim's first-person perspective and relatively simple combat mechanics already allowed it to port well to virtual reality.
New features like Rune Drawing could make spellcasting in VR feel far more dynamic, requiring players to use distinct physical movements to cast the different spells at their disposal.
Spells In The Elder Scrolls 6
When Skyrim released, there was some criticism regarding its removal of character classes and its simplification of the spell system found in older Elder Scrolls games. On the other hand, the broad accessibility of Skyrim's combat and magic systems were likely part of the reason for its immense success. A feature like Rune Drawing could bring back an element of challenge and complexity to spellcasting in The Elder Scrolls 6, while remaining intuitive enough to take advantage of Skyrim's style of simplicity.
Tiffany Treadmore's sources also reported that The Elder Scrolls 6 would likely include some form of spell crafting system, bringing custom spells back into the game. If the next game does include Rune Drawing and custom spells, it's possible that players could create their own runes, attaching unique movements to spells of their own creation.
If Bethesda brings Rune Drawing and custom spells to The Elder Scrolls 6's VR release, fans could find that playing a spellcaster is more satisfying than ever. Whether Rune Casting will translate as well to the games' standard release remains to be seen. Many fans of the franchise may be more eager to learn the basics of the next game's setting and story before they get too excited about exploring that world in VR.
The Elder Scrolls 6 is in development.