The Elder Scrolls 6 will release before 2030, but not much sooner, according to a recent claim by a reliable industry insider. If that’s the case, then it’s worth pointing out that it would be released nearly 20 years after Skyrim and ~12 years since its initial announcement in 2018. In other words, in the eyes of many fans, The Elder Scrolls 6 goes down in history as the most anticipated and longest game to launch from reveal to release.
It’s important to understand the wider context around this claim. Xbox just announced its plans to “reset” the business, including layoffs, studio divestitures, and more. Xbox also expects Bethesda to further focus on its IP, releasing games in the Elder Scrolls and Fallout franchises faster than before (and it’s worth noting that Bethesda was also hit with the aforementioned layoffs, making that even more challenging). Even then, realistically, fans have a long wait ahead of them.
During a recent Bloomberg Q&A, reporter Jason Schreier discussed the eventual release date of The Elder Scrolls 6. In short, the industry insider said that it is “2-to-3 years away at least” from being released. The good news is that a recent update on The Elder Scrolls 6 revealed pretty much all devs at Bethesda proper are working on the game, which isn’t surprising at this point. That would put its ballpark release date around 2028 or 2029, and it seems Xbox will be pushing for it to be completed on the faster end of that production pipeline.
Scratch & Peek
Identify the cover art while scratching off as little foil as
possible.
What’s noteworthy is that Schreier is not the only insider to recently make this claim. Windows Central’s Jez Corden also claimed, earlier this year, that he heard that The Elder Scrolls 6 would release around 2028 or 2029, a year or two after the first Fallout remaster. In other words, fans can hopefully expect a new Fallout remaster next year, too, ahead of any brand-new mainline release in the franchise. Of course, development is complicated and things change fast in industry and life, so it would not be surprising to hear new claims, reports, and/or announcements about the franchise’s next game come 2027, 2028, or 2029.
After all, Todd Howard seems to regret announcing The Elder Scrolls 6—at least as Bethesda did with a landscape trailer. He recently joked that fans forget that the studio ever did that and suggested he wished the company was more casual with its announcements. Similarly, Bethesda’s next game after The Elder Scrolls 6 is Fallout 5, and Howard has lightly acknowledged it here and there, without fans having any serious expectations. That’s likely what he means by more casual.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Easy (5)Medium (7)Hard (10)
Either way, 2-3 years should not be a surprise to fans who have been waiting this long and keeping up with the latest news out of Bethesda. It remains to be seen how it all lands for the company, as well as how Xbox and its divested/current studios make out, but here’s hoping that the chaos and industry squeeze end much sooner rather than later.
- Released
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2026
- ESRB
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m
- Developer(s)
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Bethesda Game Studios
- Publisher(s)
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Bethesda Softworks
