Why Bethesda Won't Release Elder Scrolls 6 Anytime Soon

Xbox's E3 showcase successfully hyped audiences for upcoming titles like "Redfall" and "Starfield." However, fans couldn't help but notice the lack of "Elder Scrolls 6" news, which brought into question how far Bethesda had actually progressed with the game. In an interview with The Telegraph, Bethesda head Todd Howard shed light on the studio's current priorities: Bethesda is still working on "The Elder Scrolls 6." However, "Starfield" comes first.

Bethesda is technically working on both at the same time, though. The development of "Starfield" and "The Elder Scrolls 6" are related because of their shared technology, Creation Engine 2. Howard claims that this new engine is "built for both."

"It's like a new tech base. The vast majority of our development work is on 'Starfield' right now but everybody works on everything so the projects kind of intertwine," he said of the two titles. So, while "The Elder Scrolls 6" might still be in design, the developers are noting how the tech works with "Starfield" and if it can handle what they want to accomplish with "The Elder Scrolls 6."

"It's good to think of 'The Elder Scrolls 6' as still being in a design [phase]... but we're checking the tech: 'Is this going to handle the things we want to do in that game?' Every game will have some new suites of technology so 'Elder Scrolls 6' will have some additions on to Creation Engine 2 that that game is going to require," Howard told The Telegraph.

So, with "Starfield" monopolizing the development team at the moment, "The Elder Scrolls 6" likely won't come anytime soon. Or, at least, it likely won't come until development for "Starfield" ends. The title is set to release on November 11, 2022, as an PC and Xbox Series X|S exclusive. Todd Howard has already apologized to PlayStation fans for the title's exclusivity but says there's not much he can do about it. "Starfield" also won't be released for Xbox One, so it's next-gen only.

Howard said "The Elder Scrolls 6" still in design, which tends to be one of the earlier stages of game development. Fans at least know a sequel is on its way, though there's no solid release date. In the meantime, they can keep playing "The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim" and "The Elder Scrolls Online." Or they can join eager theorists who have even started digging into the "Starfield" trailer for signs of "The Elder Scrolls 6" in preparation for its release.