The Elder Scrolls 6’s ‘Playable’ Status Could Be Bad News After Starfield

Highlights

The Elder Scrolls 6 is in development, but the long wait for its release could be similar to the timeline of Starfield.
Bethesda’s decision to announce the game early may lead to a longer wait, causing patience to be tested for excited fans.
The game’s progress remains shrouded in mystery, with high expectations and uncertainty about when it will finally be released.

There are several games in development that are on the list of most anticipated titles, and The Elder Scrolls 6 has been at the top for quite some time now. Originally announced back in 2018 at E3, The Elder Scrolls 6 is Bethesda’s next big project. However, recent comments from the developer could be bad news for those hoping for the game to be released soon.

Anticipation for The Elder Scrolls 6 has been palpable ever since the 36-second teaser trailer was revealed back in 2018. Nearly six years later, Bethesda has kept fairly quiet about the game’s progress, until recently. In honor of the 30th anniversary of The Elder Scrolls, hints were dropped that The Elders Scrolls 6 is in a playable state. The statement claimed, “Last but not least, yes, we are in development on the next chapter –The Elder Scrolls 6. Even now, returning to Tamriel and playing early builds has us filled with the same joy, excitement, and promise of adventure.” This news is exciting to hear at first, but when comparing it to the timeline of Bethesda’s latest game, Starfield, this could actually give some insight into the game’s release date. The bad news is that this points to a long wait.

Regardless of Shattered Space, Starfield’s Loss Can Be The Elder Scrolls 6’s Gain

With gamers still stinging from Starfield’s less-than-stellar launch, The Elder Scrolls 6 gives Bethesda a solid shot at repairing its reputation.

Although it’s great to finally get some sort of update from Bethesda, looking at Starfield and its development cycle may reveal when The Elder Scrolls 6 will finally release. Bethesda confirmed back in 2018 that Starfield was in a playable state. That was five whole years before the game saw the light of day. If The Elder Scrolls 6 is on a similar timeline, then this implies that the wait is longer than anticipated.

Starfield’s Development Could Give Insight Into The Elder Scrolls 6

Looking back on the development of Starfield could be the key to figuring out the targeted release year for The Elder Scrolls 6. However, if the milestone of being in a playable state is a marker for the game’s progress, then The Elder Scrolls 6 may not be released until 2029. The five-year gap between Starfield‘s playable state confirmation and finally releasing could easily repeat itself with The Elder Scrolls 6. There have barely been any substantial updates, so there’s no telling what the game looks like right now, but Starfield‘s development cycle could give more insight into certain production milestones.

Announcing The Elder Scrolls 6 Too Soon

The biggest issue facing The Elder Scrolls 6 is that Bethesda dropped the announcement way too soon. Recent comments from Bruce Nesmith, the former Lead Designer for Skyrim, claim that Bethesda was too quick in announcing The Elder Scrolls 6. The interview with Nesmith revealed that Bethesda confirmed the game back in 2018 in order to address fan demand, but this choice seems to have come back to haunt the studio, since the wait now feels longer than ever. If Starfield‘s development cycle is actually an indicator of The Elder Scrolls 6‘s timeline, then those who are excited may have a test of patience on their hands.

Last but not least, yes, we are in development on the next chapter –
The Elder Scrolls 6.
Even now, returning to Tamriel and playing early builds has us filled with the same joy, excitement, and promise of adventure.

With only one short teaser trailer and minuscule updates, The Elder Scrolls 6 is in an interesting position. The game is one of the most anticipated titles to be announced in recent years, but there remains to be any solid proof of how far along it is in production. Expectations are higher than ever, and if the game is still five years away, that bar is only going to be raised more each year.

However, the development cycle of every game is different. Just because Starfield‘s timeline was one way doesn’t exactly mean that The Elder Scrolls 6 has the exact same cycle. Due to how long the game has been in development, The Elder Scrolls 6 could actually arrive sooner than anticipated, but this also means it could take longer. Bethesda is in a tricky spot, but no matter how long the game takes, it will be an incredible relief when The Elder Scrolls 6 finally arrives.