Highlights
The Elder Scrolls 6 is now in early development, but fans should not expect any news or release anytime soon.
The development timeline for The Elder Scrolls 6 is expected to be similar to that of Starfield, which spanned eight years. Currently, the game is in the design phase and entails preliminary programming and level creation; however, the alpha and beta versions are yet to be completed.
After the release of Bethesda's Starfield, RPG fans are already eagerly anticipating the future. Although Starfield is a brand new IP for both the company and gamers, fans of Bethesda's earlier works are now one step closer to the highly anticipated next installment in the Elder Scrolls series: The Elder Scrolls 6. Excitingly, The Elder Scrolls 6 is now in its early stages of development. However, it may be a tad premature to start rejoicing.
The Elder Scrolls is a beloved high fantasy franchise that dates back to 1994's The Elder Scrolls: Arena. Throughout the years, the series has grown and evolved into some of the most cherished and popular fantasy RPG games of all time. With its vast open worlds, rich lore, and complex character customization, the series reached its peak with its last full entry in 2011, The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. While gamers have had the MMO experience of The Elder Scrolls Online to keep them engaged, dedicated fans of the series have patiently waited for the next single-player Elder Scrolls adventure.
Bethesda's Attention Remains on Starfield for the Time Being
Unfortunately, fans will have to wait a considerable amount of time. In an interview with Vandal, Pete Hines, the Head of Publishing at Bethesda, confirmed that The Elder Scrolls 6 is currently in the development phase. However, he made it clear that the game is still in the early stages of development. When asked if there would be any updates on The Elder Scrolls 6 now that Starfield has been released, Hines firmly dismissed those hopes. He emphasized that Starfield is currently the company's main focus and will remain so for the time being. As a result, any further information or the actual release of The Elder Scrolls 6 is still several years away.
To provide some perspective, Starfield began development in 2015 and was just recently released on September 6, 2023, a span of eight years. Therefore, fans should anticipate a similar timeline for the development of TES6. With this in mind, it would be beneficial for gamers to concentrate on the present and enjoy the exciting new adventure that Starfield offers, rather than fixating on what lies far in the future.
'Early' Is the Key Word in The Elder Scrolls 6 Being in Early Development
The game development process is often lengthy and challenging. It begins with the pre-production stage, where planning, concept development, and creation of design documents occur. When The Elder Scrolls 6 was announced in 2018, it was in pre-production. It has taken a significant amount of time for the game to move from this stage to actual development.
During the production stage, multiple steps are taken towards creating the core of Elder Scrolls 6. This involves game design, programming the source code, creating game levels, and producing art and sound. Design includes finalizing content, gameplay, narrative, and artistic direction. All of these elements are meticulously documented to guide the development team's future efforts.
When Pete Hines mentioned that The Elder Scrolls 6 is in the early stages of development, it implies that the game is currently in the design phase, with some initial programming and level creation taking place. The team is currently working towards the first milestone, known as the "first playable", where the game will have functional gameplay with the most important mechanics.
However, it is still a long way off from the alpha and beta versions of the game, and the final release and schedule will take several years. Therefore, while it is exciting that The Elder Scrolls 6 is being developed, gamers should temper their expectations and not get too excited for a game that could potentially take close to a decade to be released.
The Elder Scrolls 6 is currently in development for PC and Xbox Series X/S.