The Elder Scrolls VI: Every important detail about Bethesda’s next game
The Elder Scrolls 6 is on the way with Bethesda and Microsoft for now keeping many of its greatest details secret. However, there’s still plenty to explore, including around its rumoured release window and exclusivity chatter.
With that in mind, let's explore every important detail about Bethesda’s next game in its popular fantasy RPG series, The Elder Scrolls.
The Elder Scrolls VI was officially announced on June 10, 2018, during Bethesda’s E3 showcase. However, the trailer announcement trailer didn't give much away to fans.
In a nutshell, it was a cinematic flyover of where the game will be set, Tamriel, ending with the game's official logo. Yet, despite its vagueness, it was enough to excite Elder Scrolls fans in attendance and those watching the livestream at home.
What is the latest update on The Elder Scrolls 6?
The most recent news we have on The Elder Scrolls VI is courtesy of Xbox’s new CEO, Asha Sharma, who briefly spoke about the upcoming title during Gamescom in August 2026. The CEO revealed that she had seen some gameplay in-house at Bethesda, giving fans a teasing but important pre-production update, despite not revealing a release date or release window for The Elder Scrolls VI.
Advert
In March 2026, during a roundtable interview with GamesRadar+, senior creative leader at Bethesda Game Studios, Todd Howard said: “The majority of this building is working on The Elder Scrolls VI."
When speaking to PC Gamer in February 2026, Todd Howard teased that the game would be returning to its 'classic style' of how players explore an open world, referring to the likes of Oblivion and Fallout 3.
Xbox CEO responds after seeing live playthrough
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Sharma said this about The Elder Scrolls VI in-house gameplay: “Live playthrough of The Elder Scrolls VI: ******** this morning. The scale and grandeur are incredible. The story is even greater.”
While this is yet another vague update in relation to The Elder Scrolls VI, and given the fact that, as of yet, gameplay hasn't been revealed to the public, it at least means that a playable build is out there, and it may provide a glimmer of hope that an official gameplay reveal might be on the way soon.
Does The Elder Scrolls 6 have a release date?
No, The Elder Scrolls VI currently does not have a release date. There is a lot of speculation out in the wild, but we’ll update you as soon as we know it’s made official.
What Bethesda has officially said about the release
Following the E3 reveal in 2018, Todd Howard told GameSpot that The Elder Scrolls VI is in its “concept and design” phase. He also revealed that he already knew its release date, but would be foolish to reveal it. It would be very interesting to know if that internal release date has long since passed.
When asked by Entertainment Weekly in June 2026 whether the game was announced too early, Howard replied: “I have asked myself that a lot. I don’t know. I probably would’ve announced it more casually.”
This followed comments made by former Bethesda developer Bruce Nesmith, who said: “[Bethesda] took years of hits for not talking about Elder Scrolls VI. The best time to start talking about it is six months before release.”
“Only the fact that the pitchforks and torches were out got Todd to say, ‘Yes, we’re going to do Elder Scrolls VI; it’s for real it’ll happen.’” Nesmith continued. “But I’m betting you don’t hear much in the way of details until six months before release, which is the way it should be.”
When could The Elder Scrolls 6 realistically launch?
At this moment, that’s anyone’s guess outside of Microsoft and Bethesda. Many of us would have hoped for The Elder Scrolls VI to have arrived already, but that obviously hasn't been the case.
If we’re lucky, perhaps it might get re-revealed during Summer Game Fest season in 2027. But even then, its release date could arrive at the end of that year or early 2028. It’s perhaps even more likely that it could be a next-gen title at this point. However, that is all speculation on our part.
What does The Elder Scrolls 6 trailer reveal about its setting?
Not much, other than we know it will be set in Tamriel. That being said, given the big mountains and the location near the coast, fans have speculated that The Elder Scrolls VI could be set in Hammerfell or High Rock.
What Skyrim and Starfield could tell us about the game
Open-world exploration has been taken to a new level by Bethesda in Starfield. Sure, Starfield explores space and The Elder Scrolls VI will be on land, but the sheer size of exploration in Starfield could suggest that the open world in The Elder Scrolls VI might be the biggest in the series.
It could also take inspiration from Starfield's procedurally generated planets and moons. The Elder Scrolls series is no stranger to taking players to mysterious realms. So, if those realms were to be procedurally generated in The Elder Scrolls VI, it could mean that players will be visiting quite different locations than others.
Starfield also has the most in-depth character creation from any Bethesda RPG, something that was perhaps lacking in 2011’s The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Starfield had more factions, and that was also a popular feature in Skyrim, something that could evolve further in The Elder Scrolls VI.
Todd Howard also revealed to PC Gamer that The Elder Scrolls VI will be developed using Creation Engine 3. This is an update on Creation Engine 2 used to develop Starfield.
READ MORE: 8 Best Skyrim Quest Mods To Play Before The Elder Scrolls 6
Will The Elder Scrolls 6 be on PlayStation or exclusive to Xbox?
That is the question that PlayStation gamers will want to know. At least publicly, neither Microsoft nor Bethesda has announced that The Elder Scrolls VI is coming to PlayStation. There is some hope given the likes of Forza Horizon 6, Halo: Campaign Evolved and Gears of War: Reloaded have all been released on PS5.
However, following Asha Sharma’s announcement that reignited the console wars by revealing that Gears of War: E-Day will be an Xbox Series X/S console exclusive, this has cast major doubt over the prospect of The Elder Scrolls VI coming to PlayStation.
That being said, during Microsoft’s legal battle with the FTC in 2023, leaked documents stated that The Elder Scrolls VI is coming to Xbox and PC, but not PlayStation. Yet, Fable is coming to PlayStation 5 in February 2026, so we’ll just have to wait and see what Microsoft decides.
We’ll keep this article updated as soon as new and concrete information drops regarding The Elder Scrolls VI.
Topics: Bethesda, PlayStation, The Elder Scrolls 6, Xbox