Topics: The Elder Scrolls, The Elder Scrolls 6, Bethesda, Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, PC, PlayStation, PlayStation 5
Ah, The Elder Scrolls VI, a game so illusive that it’s on the verge of becoming its own meme with fans left wondering, when is it ever going to be released?
Believe it or not, yesterday (11 June 2024) was the sixth year since The Elder Scrolls VI was announced at E3 2018. Let’s put that into perspective, that’s 72 months, roughly 312 weeks or roughly 2,190 days and we still don’t have a release date, let alone seeing some actual gameplay.
Check out The Elder Scrolls VI announcement trailer below!
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The lack of activity surrounding The Elder Scrolls VI has fans concerned that it won't be released in this generation and could instead be a next-gen title. When the next entry in the popular Bethesda fantasy RPG series was announced six years ago, it would have been a safe assumption for it to be released on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
However, now that Microsoft owns Bethesda's parent company, ZeniMax Media, there’s even a chance that The Elder Scrolls VI won't be released on PlayStation at all and will instead only be available on PC and Xbox. Hopefully, The Elder Scrolls VI will follow the lead of DOOM: The Dark Ages and will be a multi-console title.
That all being said, during the seemingly never-ending court battle between Microsoft and the FTC over the acquisition of Activision (which Microsoft eventually won), loose details were revealed about upcoming titles and that included the likes of The Elder Scrolls VI.
Court documents suggested that The Elder Scrolls VI could be released anytime between 2026 and 2028. Yet, Reddit user Difficult-Use-3414 believes that a potential 2026 release window could be more likely than we initially thought.
That being said, Difficult-Use-3414 still believes that 2027 to 2028 is more likely but we still shouldn't rule out a 2026 launch. Firstly, the aforementioned court documents projected a possible 2026 launch window but it's worth keeping in mind that the release window could have been a placeholder and delays are always likely.
Secondly, Difficult-Use-3414 mentions that between Redfall (2021), Starfield (2023) and the upcoming Indiana Jones and The Great Circle (2024), there’s a consistent two-year gap between major Bethesda releases. So just going by that trajectory and knowing that The Elder Scrolls VI is likely to be Bethesda’s next big game, could we actually see it launch in 2026?
We should take all gossip with a pinch of salt until proven otherwise and I personally believe that if The Elder Scrolls VI was to be released in 2026, the release date is unlikely to be announced this year. If I were to guess, if The Elder Scrolls VI is released in 2026, perhaps a potential announcement could be made during the Xbox Games Showcase in 2025.
