Bethesda Confirms Early Development Progress of Elder Scrolls 6 Release

Bethesda has confirmed that The Elder Scrolls VI is now in the early stages of development, with some developers at the studio working on the sequel. Bethesda is currently focusing on the launch and potential post-launch support of Starfield, which was revealed alongside The Elder Scrolls 6 at the 2018 E3 event. Thus, new details about The Elder Scrolls 6 are not expected for several years. 

This aligns with Xbox head Phil Spencer's testimony during Microsoft's trial against the US FTC in June, where he suggested the game was at least five years away and unspecific about the platforms it would be released on. Bethesda's parent company ZeniMax was acquired by Microsoft in 2020 for $7.5 billion. 

Spencer's comments cast doubt on a launch for The Elder Scrolls 6 on the Xbox Series S/X, particularly considering the expected release of the next-generation gaming consoles in 2028. There is speculation that the forthcoming Xbox model may not have the capability to run the game due to technical limitations, with recent challenges faced during the development of Baldur's Gate 3 cited as an example. 

In a 2021 interview, Bethesda shared that the overhauled Creation Engine 2 will be used for the development of The Elder Scrolls 6. This engine is also being used for the upcoming Starfield game, described as ‘Skyrim in space', part of Bethesda's first new universe in 25 years.