If Todd Howard is to be believed, the cities in The Elder Scrolls 6 are going to be bigger than the fort-sized servings fans have received so far in the series. The new game will use procedural generation to create a large game world, which could then accommodate more realistically sized medieval towns and cities.
The Elder Scrolls 6 is rumored to take place in the west of Tamriel, around Hammerfell, High Rock, and possibly even the lost continent of Yokuda to the far west. The region is highly politically contentious, and is ripe for clashes both cultural and literal. With that in mind, here are the six cities that would be great to see in The Elder Scrolls 6.
Nova Orsinium
The orcish city of Orsinium sat in the Wrothgarian mountains between High Rock and Skyrim for much of the Elder Scrolls timeline. However, at the start of the Fourth Era, which began with the death of Martin Septim in The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion, Orsinium was sacked once again by Breton and Redguard forces despite the opposition of the Empire. The Empire intervened to shuttle orc refugees to Skyrim, and for the fourth time in their history the orcs were forced to rebuild their home.
This time they opted to build it in the Dragontail Mountains within Hammerfell. Nova Orsinium or “new orc-town” is a relatively new addition to Tamriel’s landscape, and with the city surrounded by less-than-friendly neighbors, it would be interesting to see the orcs get more time in the spotlight in The Elder Scrolls 6 if the game takes place around Hammerfell and High Rock. With the Aldmeri Dominion to the south, the struggle of the orcs against their neighbors is a good reminder that the Thalmor aren’t the only domineering force on the continent.
Dragonstar
Dragonstar is a city-state that has already made an appearance in several Elder Scrolls games. The town first appeared in The Elder Scrolls: Arena, where it had a heated rivalry with Skaven, a city to the south. Dragonstar also appeared in The Elder Scrolls Online, though in the 2nd Era it wasn’t much more than a mining settlement. Dragonstar is at the border of three major civilizations as well as the orc tribes, and even within Hammerfell is surrounded by potential enemies.
This pressure-cooked city is home to the Dragonstar Arena Pit, and is home of the Sacred Rage, a famous team of gladiators. Around the time of the Oblivion Crisis, the town began falling victim to frequent terrorist attacks as the pressure from surrounding factions began to bubble over, making it the perfect location for some of western Tamriel's key conflicts to come to a head.
Skaven
Skaven may be nearby Dragonstar, but its culture and architecture couldn't be more different from its northern neighbor. Skaven lies deep in the desert, with sandstone buildings, bustling markets, and the Dwemer tower of Fang Lair looming nearby. During the Great War with the Aldmeri Dominion, the elves captured Skaven after a major battle, and it would be a year before it was retaken by former Imperial troops. The city’s disdain for the elves, however, likely remains. It’s also tightly connected to the Crowns, a noble Redguard faction which still worships the old gods of Yokuda.
Port Hunding
Port Hunding is a city in the middle of Stros M’Kai, an island to the south of Hammerfell infested with privateers, pirates, and pick-pockets. If players want to find passage to the dangerous waters west of the continent, this could be just the place to go to find a crew willing to risk it all for a purse of gold. If rendered with realistic density the town could be a bustling tropical den of villainy to put Riften to shame, and the perfect locale for any player searching for gold, glory, or a hired blade.
Wayrest
Wayrest is the cultural capital of High Rock, lying on the Bjoulsae River that forms the border with Hammerfell. After the Great War, the city was invaded by corsairs invited into the city by its own King Barynia to kill his political opposition. It was also the home to a chapter of the Dark Brotherhood before the corsairs destroyed it in 4E 188, 13 years before Alduin’s attack on Helgen at the start of Skyrim. Wayrest may be a lustrous city of great beauty, but it has a dark underbelly, an unstable geographic position, and corrupt leaders that could make it a fascinating place of contrasts to visit in The Elder Scrolls 6.
Daggerfall
Daggerfall is considered, at least by its inhabitants, to be the capital of High Rock. It is one of the biggest cities in the region, and could be a bustling metropolis in The Elder Scrolls 6 to put the series’ past cities to shame. In the lore, a census in 3E 401, 32 years before the Oblivion Crisis begins, puts the city’s population at over 110,000 people. While it’s unlikely fans will see Bethesda render the city with quite so many NPCs, Daggerfall is one of the games’ best opportunities to create a large city with distinct neighborhoods and communities.
Despite constantly fighting for its prosperity, a city of Daggerfall’s size is always going to have plenty of in-fighting and political intrigue of its own, full of different groups with different conflicting interests. The city has four main districts: the Trade District, Castle Town, the Harbor District, and Castle Daggerfall. If these districts felt like fully fleshed out communities in their own right, Daggerfall could be the crowning jewel of The Elder Scrolls 6’s new take on cities, dwarfing anything seen in the series so far.
For now it remains unclear just where The Elder Scrolls 6 will be taking players, and whether or not a single game will be able to encapsulate all of these areas. However, if The Elder Scrolls 6's cities populated by pirates, orc exiles, gladiators, scheming politicians and more, it could see players exploring a larger and more diverse world than Skyrim, helping the game meet its high expectations and stick the landing on the next-gen consoles.
The Elder Scrolls 6 is in development.