The Elder Scrolls 6 has already been thought to be in development for a long time, but new information coming from Xbox CEO Phil Spencer indicates that it still won't be arriving anytime soon. The successor to the wildly popular Skyrim has been heavily anticipated by fans of the series since it was first announced in 2018. Many have been suspicious, however, due to the lack of information, trailers, or even images regarding the project.
In responding to questioning from FTC lawyers (via IGN) during the trial regarding Microsoft's Activision-Blizzard acquisition deal, Spencer stated that The Elder Scrolls 6 is not going to be ready to release for at least another five years. He went on to clarify that the same development team which has been hard at work preparing for the release of Starfield this September will be responsible for the creation of The Elder Scrolls 6. If so, then it is possible that the game could be at the very beginning stages of planning, and perhaps still in its design phase.
The FTC questioning was focused primarily on exclusivity with the concerns that the acquisition will create a monopoly for Microsoft. In asking whether The Elder Scrolls 6 would be exclusive to Xbox consoles, Spencer would not confirm that it will not be made available to other platforms, suggesting there's a possibility The Elder Scrolls 6 comes to PlayStation, even if unlikely. He reasoned that it was hard to give any concrete determination regarding the game as it is still five or more years away from launch.
Elder Scrolls 6 Is Bethesda's Next Big Project After Starfield
The big Bethesda star at the moment is Starfield, which is scheduled to be released on September 6, 2023, exclusive to PC and Xbox consoles. If it is, in fact, the same development team responsible for both Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6, then the real work on Elder Scrolls should begin after that time, and with an estimation of at least five years for development, the game may not be ready to be shown to eager fans until 2028. If it is released that year, there would be a 17-year gap between the release dates of Skyrim and The Elder Scrolls 6.
The Elder Scrolls is a very popular series and has seen immense success with the continued popularity of Skyrim. Another five years of development, while not entirely unexpected, does run the risk of waning interest in the series. While it is possible that Spencer's comments regarding the timeframe could be purposely vague for the sake of the exclusivity-focused trial, the news is still not good for those who have been expecting a release announcement to be soon. The Elder Scrolls 6 is still a long way away, but perhaps that will ultimately lead to it being an even better game than imagined.
Source: IGN, Tom Warren/Twitter