Although The Elder Scrolls 6 is likely years away from seeing the light of day, it's clear why fans are always looking for information. This was proven by the latest Elder Scrolls 6 leak, which mostly ignored lore, but convinced fans and media across the internet that there was some inkling of truth to it. And it's easy to see why, its predecessor set forth a precedent since unseen from Bethesda.

Skyrim originally released in 2011 and, since then, Bethesda has released the Dishonored franchise, multiple DOOM games, The Elder Scrolls Online, Fallout 4, Fallout 76, multiple Evil Within games, multiple Wolfenstein games, and more. And while they are all great games in their own right, none hold a candle to the influence that Skyrim has had since its release. And with little to go on for The Elder Scrolls 6, it's clear that its hype train momentum is carried solely by Skyrim, and that could be a double-edged sword.

RELATED: Skyrim Probably Won't Matter in The Elder Scrolls 6

Why Skyrim is so Influential

Skyrim Header Image

Fans of the franchise could not throw a dart at a board without hitting a reason Skyrim has always been so popular. It defined the open-world franchise, influencing modern and indie developers to this day, and presented multiple storylines within one game. Players could complete skip the main story line and focus on the Dark Brotherhood should they wish and gave players unprecedented freedom, even if it didn't always make sense. And it took one of game's most popular backdrops and made it unique.

As proven with the recent reveal of Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Norse mythology, setting, and inspirations are incredibly popular. God of War, Assassin's Creed, and Elden Ring all see this, as the latter is reportedly taking inspirations in design, the middle is giving a historical and cultural view of the Viking people, and the former's soft reboot dives deep into Norse mythology. Skyrim did it, not first but early, and made it its own. From the Draugr to the Jarls, Skyrim oozes with, arguably, the most popular backdrop for video games today. As such, it casts a long shadow in terms of gameplay, story, design, and ultimately influence in the forms of remakes, ports, memes, and more. It echoes internet culture, and for better or worse, that's what The Elder Scrolls 6 has to contend with.

The Elder Scrolls 6: Doomed to Live in Skyrim's Shadow?

elder scrolls 6 leak

Players have likely seen the cacophany of Skyrim memes from waking up as a prisoner to getting hit by an arrow in the knee. Some may even hear shop owner's voicelines in their head, and others may have a diehard opinion on the Nord vs. Empire conflict. To this day, Skyrim endures against newer games and RPGs. With this kind of legacy, it's cleat that Todd Howard wanting The Elder Scrolls 6 to last 10 years is not something out of reach, at least not due to competition outside itself. But The Elder Scrolls 6 may live in Skyrim's shadow, and it's pretty clear it already has.

Bethesda is a big name in the gaming industry, and since the release of Skyrim, has put out a ton of IP. It begs the question as to why The Elder Scrolls 6 may just now be entering full production as of January 2020. It begs the question as to why it has taken so long. While The Elder Scrolls Online and Skyrim's DLC cannot be forgotten, there's still some big gaps between entries.

Morrowind released in 2002 to be followed by Oblivion in 2006. It was followed by Skyrim in 2011, but suddenly and ignoring the ports, The Elder Scrolls franchise became one to skip an entire game generation? There hasn't been a mainline entry originally released on the PS4 and Xbox One, and at this point, it's clear that The Elder Scrolls 6 is at least a cross-gen game, if not fully next-gen.

From a financial standpoint, it certainly makes sense to port and refresh Skyrim. It's legacy is so far reaching that it still has a solid following and playerbase today, near 9 years since its original release. But from a financial standpoint, The Elder Scrolls 6 could be as viable, assuming it could set itself apart from Skyrim. But it's clear that's harder that it sounds. With little doubt, it seems clear that the Elder Scrolls 6 will likely release a decade and change after Skyrim because rivaling it is laughable. The question then becomes: is that enough time, is that enough technological leaps, for The Elder Scrolls 6 to escape Skyrim's shadow? Only time will tell.

The Elder Scrolls 6 is in development.

MORE: The Elder Scrolls 6 Should Break One Major Skyrim Mold