Fans of Bethesda’s Elder Scrolls games have been waiting over a decade for the next instalment in the beloved franchise. Will we actually ever see the elusive Elder Scrolls 6?
When it comes to the sixth instalment of things, there always seems to be a slight curse. Whether it’s The Winds of Winter, Grand Theft Auto IV (of which we’re finally about to see in 2025) or Elder Scrolls VI — delays tend to present themselves with the dreaded number 6.
In the case of Bethesda’s long-anticipated Elder Scrolls VI, fans have been waiting for over 13 years, since the release of modern masterpiece Skyrim. That’s a whopping 4,550+ days! Not that we’re keeping track or anything. And in that time, Bethesda has released myriad editions of Skyrim, improving graphics and updating it for new generations of consoles. While Skyrim may fall short graphically, compared to the likes of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, it still remains popular today. Skyrim has a devoted fanbase. People continue to frequently buy and mod it. But of course, Elder Scrolls Online has taken the lead in the franchise over the years, amassing a massive user base.
Elder Scrolls aside, Bethesda’s primary focus in recent times has been Starfield. The cosmic, open world sci-fi game was a massive undertaking for the game studio, pushing Elder Scrolls 6 to the back-burner for a long time. Now that Starfield is out, Bethesda’s sights can shift full-throttle towards the long-anticipated Elder Scrolls 6.
So, what’s the good news? We know that Bethesda is actively working on Elder Scrolls 6. Well, we’ve known that since the developer formally announced that project was in pre-production with a teaser released way back in 2018. The teaser has since racked up an enormous 19 million views on YouTube alone:
While the early announcement definitely gave fans hope that the game would be released in the coming years, it appears that Bethesda themselves regret showcasing the game early. Company director Todd Howard admitted as much in an interview with GQ in 2023. “I probably would’ve announced it more casually,” he said.
What are the most interesting developments so far?
As a result of the years of silence, many fans have given up on ever seeing the next game. But despite the gruelling wait, there’s been some signs that the game isn’t restrained to our imaginations. For instance, a 2024 report from Kotaku revealed that early builds of Elder Scrolls VI were being play-tested. This was a hugely positive sign of progress.
And in February of 2025, Bethesda Game Studios announced a collaboration with Make-A-Wish. The competition will see them grant a lucky winner the chance to create their very own NPC for the upcoming game.
“One winner will have the opportunity to work with Bethesda Game Studios to create a character to appear as a video game NPC in The Elder Scrolls VI,” their announcement read.
No, we still don’t have any story details about Elder Scrolls VI
Despite the teaser showing a cool fantasy landscape that will no doubt serve as the playable location of Elder Scrolls VI, the story details remain a mystery.
We don’t even know which part of Tamriel it’ll take place in, although Hammerfell seems to be the most logical guess, given the rocky terrain and coastline. Moreover, a 2020 New Year’s message from Bethesda featured a map of Hammerfell, further adding to the speculation.
There’s even rumours that the new map could incorporate both provinces Hammerfell and High Rock. This might seem like a dream-come-true for open world lovers. However, some gamers have taken issue with how making the world bigger could take away from the depth. This pitfall is one of the main criticisms of Starfield, which utilises a procedurally generated open-world.
“Honestly I think it would be too much. Think back on how many cities they cut from Skyrim, and what happened to places like Winterhold,” one Reddit user wrote. “Two provinces is way too much for Bethesda, and the game would end up being very shallow.”
Elder Scrolls fans might be in for another year of disappointment in 2025, but so far, the game appears to be in active development. It’s entirely possible that we’ll receive some intriguing updates this year. Consider subscribing to our free weekly newsletter for all the latest updates using the form below!
