The Elder Scrolls 6 release year surfaces, don't expect to play Sentinel anytime soon

In celebration of Bethesda’s 40th anniversary, Todd Howard has finally lifted the lid on the long-awaited next instalment in The Elder Scrolls series, but it’s going to be a long time before the game rears its head again - three years, by all accounts.

In a short teaser trailer released on November 3, it was confirmed that The Elder Scrolls VI: Sentinel is the official title of Skyrim’s successor, confirming fan theories after Xbox head Asha Sharma teased the number of letters in the game’s title back in August.

The teaser trailer failed to reveal a release window for the game, with Bethesda posting on Twitter/X that “it’ll be some time before we’re ready to share more”.

“Thank you for 40 years of shared memories,” began the post. “We can’t wait to make even more together with The Elder Scrolls VI: Sentinel. Development continues, and while it’ll be some time before we’re ready to share more, it feels great to finally reveal the name and location with you.”

That location is Hammerfell, confirmed via a quote from Yazar, Moth Priest of High Queen Iradne of Hammerfell: “The scroll offered only a shimmer, a veil thinly lifted to my eyes. A future lost. A victory undone. Sands of time scattered by fate.”

The quote confirms Sentinel to be set in 4E 206, just five years after Skyrim.

The Elder Scrolls VI: Sentinel isn’t expected to arrive sooner than 2029

The Elder Scrolls VI: Sentinel, Bethesda Softworks

There’s perhaps a very good reason why Bethesda is so reluctant to confirm a launch window. Industry journalist Jason Schreier revealed that the game is “still more than two years away” on BlueSky, following the release of the new teaser.

Schreier said: “I think a lot of people forget that The Elder Scrolls VI was only announced in 2018 (along with Starfield) to soften the blow of Fallout 76 - ‘Don’t worry, even though we’re making a multiplayer game, we’ve got single-player stuff coming too!’”

He later added that this is “not a prediction” and he knows “the time frame the game is targeting”.

Now a further two ‘insiders’ have surfaced with claims that The Elder Scrolls VI: Sentinel is targeting a 2029 launch which, to state the obvious, is three years away.

Jez Corden took to Twitter/X to write, “I have also heard 2029 for Sentinel.”

Leaker JuiceHead later backed that up, writing, “2029 is indeed the word on the block, but this was pre-Asha.”

This leak has to be taken with a pinch of salt. It seems there are enough people close enough to the project to confirm that it’s some way off and 2028/2029 feels likely.

But as JuiceHead suggests, Sharma could have accelerated plans. Obsidian Entertainment now falls under the leadership of Bethesda as of this year’s major Xbox shake-up. They could be helping out to boost development speed.

Alternatively, there’s a lot of expectation surrounding Sentinel. Sharma could push the project back until it’s perfect.

READ MORE: Everything we know about The Elder Scrolls 6's setting as Sentinel to be set 5 years after Skyrim

Bethesda is only worsening the pressure on The Elder Scrolls VI: Sentinel

There is a fear that Bethesda has already dug itself a hole that’s going to be very difficult to get out of.

It all began with the eight years of silence following that initial 2018 reveal. It now looks set to be a further two-plus years until we see any gameplay.

Starfield is a great game, but it had its issues; the idea that The Elder Scrolls VI could be Bethesda’s redemption is a risky one.

Starfield didn’t necessarily suffer because it was a new IP. For many players, the graphics, NPCs, and quest design simply felt outdated.

You would hope that with The Elder Scrolls VI, Bethesda is aware that it needs to update and refine its formula. It can’t simply rehash what worked 10 or 20 years ago.

If the studio does opt for a ‘more of the same ’ approach, The Elder Scrolls VI: Sentinel could prove to be a stark disappointment after what, in 2029, will be an agonising 11-year wait.