‘The Elder Scrolls 6’ release date, trailers, possible setting and everything we know so far

The Elder Scrolls 6 was announced way back in 2018, and fans have been hungry for more details ever since. Even though Bethesda hasn’t exactly revealed much so far, there have been some interesting developments and hints as to the game’s setting, and development state.

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Since Microsoft acquired Bethesda in 2021, there’s also been much debate over exclusivity, especially after Microsoft announced four games would be coming to PlayStation and/or Nintendo Switch. It is set to be a huge follow-up to Skyrim. What we don’t really know is when we’ll actually be able to play Elder Scrolls 6, and where it is at in development, despite a few hints from Bethesda themselves.

To help keep you in the loop as we edge closer to the launch of Elder Scrolls 6, we’ve put together this guide. We’ll round up all the latest news, and details about the next entry in the series.

Latest News

We’re still a ways off from a full release, but there has been some interesting info given by Bethesda recently. As more details are revealed, we’ll collect them here.

• An early version of ‘The Elder Scrolls 6’ is already being played
• ‘The Elder Scrolls 6’ development begins, though ‘Starfield’ is Bethesda’s “priority for a while”
• ‘Fallout 5’ will be released after ‘The Elder Scrolls 6’
• Bethesda says ‘The Elder Scrolls 6’ will have to last as long as ‘Skyrim’

The Elder Scrolls 6 release date

The Elder Scrolls 6 release date is set for sometime in 2026 or later. That has been officially confirmed by Bethesda and Microsoft after a document was released during the FTC vs. Microsoft case in 2023 (via The Verge).

However, Starfield was only just released in 2023 and Bethesda has already said they plan to focus on their current RPG for a while, as they also have two DLC expansions planned – one of which is coming later this year. Therefore, realistically, we wouldn’t expect to see Starfield released until at least 2027 or 2028. After all, Bethesda isn’t exactly fast at developing games and a Skyrim follow-up will need to be a big step up for the studio.

The game was officially revealed back in 2018 during E3, showing only a short teaser trailer and a title card. Since then, there have been few details drip-fed from official sources, and certainly nothing as concrete as gameplay. We’ll have to wait and see whether more marketing is ramped up later this year or in 2025.

What could The Elder Scrolls 6 setting be?

Even though we only have a short teaser to go off of, fans have been trying to guess where The Elder Scrolls 6 could be set ever since its reveal. Many candidates have been brought up, including High Rock, Hammerfell, and Black Marsh. To be honest, the teaser gives very little away, only that the setting includes a mountainous region and borders with a large mass of water.

The closest thing we have to a proper clue as to the setting of Elder Scrolls 6 actually comes from the teaser released for Starfield back in 2021. As spotted by an eagle-eyed Reddit user, there is a strange mark seen on the console of a starship in the trailer. It’s scratched into the surface and looks an awful lot like a landmass.

This mark has clearly been put there on purpose and is strangely reminiscent of High Rock and Iliac Bay. You’ll have to decide for yourself as to whether there’s any weight to this observation, but we think it could definitely be a hint towards something related to Elder Scrolls 6.

The Elder Scrolls 6 Trailers

At the time of writing, there has only been one trailer released for Elder Scrolls 6. It’s a short 30-second teaser that pans across a mountainous landscape. The title card for the game then appears on the screen, matching the style of previous games. Check it out below:

We likely won’t see another trailer until late 2024 or 2025 at the earliest when marketing begins ramping up. But most likely, we will start to see more from the game come 2026.

Is The Elder Scrolls 6 an Xbox exclusive?

Since Microsoft’s acquisition of Bethesda, many fans have been wondering whether The Elder Scrolls 6 will release on PlayStation, or whether it will be an Xbox exclusive.

It has now been confirmed that The Elder Scrolls 6 will be an Xbox exclusive thanks to a court document from the FTC vs Microsoft case in 2023.

This could change in the future, given Microsoft’s fluctuating plan too and the willingness to seemingly ditch some exclusives. But, given that Starfield is Xbox exclusive and this will be a tentpole Xbox release, it seems to follow that Elder Scrolls 6 will be as well.

That’s all we know so far. For more Bethesda games coverage be sure to check out our Starfield review. Once you’re done there, head over to our list of 15 games to look forward to in 2024 article.

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