With the release of “Starfield,” – Bethesda’s first brand new intellectual property in 29 years – just over the horizon, game director Todd Howard has stated that his final game with Bethesda Game Studios may be the long-awaited and highly anticipated “The Elder Scrolls VI.”
Over five years ago, an official announcement for “The Elder Scrolls VI” released along with little to no notable updates about the project reaching the public ever since. The YouTube comment section on that teaser trailer, which has accumulated over 17 million views, is full of comments celebrating the “anniversaries” of the announcement, remarking on how lucky their children will be to finally play the sixth installment of “The Elder Scrolls” and sharing all of their personal milestones and life experiences over the past handful of years. The description on this video details “The Elder Scrolls VI” as being in “pre-production” and, considering the recent and upcoming projects of Bethesda Game Studios, namely “Starfield,” chances are the game is most likely still in that pre-production phase.
2028 Is The Best Case Scenario
Video game production takes a long time; that is not a ground-breaking revelation in the slightest. Cases of studios announcing their upcoming projects too early, leading to the generation of premature and unrealistic levels of hype, is also nothing new and can prove detrimental to the game when it finally releases – which there are countless, unfortunate examples of.
In a recent interview with GQ, Todd Howard said he feels the announcement of “The Elder Scrolls VI” arrived far too early. He continues to explain how he would have preferred a more casual reveal, rather than it bundled up with several of Bethesda’s upcoming projects that were already many years down the line.
Reports and interviews indicate that 2028 is the earliest time audiences could potentially be playing “The Elder Scrolls VI.” Both “Starfield” and “The Elder Scrolls VI” were announced within the same E3 showcase; it is already confirmed that “The Elder Scrolls VI” is next on Bethesda’s roster following after “Starfield”.
Where In Tamriel Will We Go Next?
It is hard to imagine the “The Elder Scrolls” and “Fallout” franchises without Todd Howard at the helm. He has served crucial, central roles on several of the installments in both of those series – beginning with designing and writing work on “The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall,” project lead on “The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind,” executive producer on “The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion” and all the way to director on “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim,” “Fallout 3” and “Fallout 4.” Needless to say, Howard has repeatedly worked at the forefront of many games which are now considered some of the best and most influential in their genre.
Not to mention, Howard is also working as the game director for the upcoming “Starfield.”
If “The Elder Scrolls VI” become Todd Howard’s final game, it will certainly prove quite the send off with an equally impressive legacy left behind him at Bethesda.
Looking To The Past And The Future
“The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim,” even 12 years later, is still a hallmark that redefined its own genres in a variety of ways. In short, there hasn’t been a game quite like “Skyrim” ever since, well, “Skyrim.” There most likely will not be until “The Elder Scrolls VI.”
The gaming space and the expectations that go hand-in-hand with AAA titles has changed dramatically since the initial release of “Skyrim” back in 2011. And, considering how long it has been since the release of “Skyrim” and how much longer it may be until its sequel, Bethesda – known for its massive scope and open worlds in their games – has all the opportunity to redefine the series with this entry.
Additionally, rather than simply release one game and then immediately move onto the next one, Bethesda wants to shift their focus to continuously support their current games in the long-run. To this day, “Skyrim” still has an active player base and devoted fans. Surely, with “The Elder Scrolls VI,” Bethesda will seek to recreate that sort of long-lasting shelf life with continued support and additional content for players to sink their teeth into years after release.
“Starfield” is scheduled to release Sep. 6, 2023 for Xbox Series X|S and Microsoft Windows.
Featured Image Courtesy of Bethesda.
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