The Elder Scrolls 6 was announced over five years ago, and I’m going to take a wild guess that it has yet to enter full production at Bethesda Game Studios. After all, it has been hard at work on Starfield, which has been subject to multiple delays as it finally enters early access next week, mere days before its full release. The next RPG from the masters of the craft is finally here.

It was revealed by game director Todd Howard as a ‘one more thing’ mic drop at E3 2018. The philosophy behind this announcement was transparency. Bethesda knew that fans wouldn’t stop asking about the existence of titles like ES6 and Fallout 5 even before it released Starfield, so thought it best to clear the air by telling us these games were coming, even if they hadn’t entered production yet. I admire this approach, but over the years it has proven to be flawed and unnecessary for a number of reasons.

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Howard recently reflected on this reveal in an interview with GQ within an article that delves into the development of Starfield, his career, and what the coming years hold for the folks at Bethesda Game Studios. When asked about the announcement of The Elder Scrolls 6 as it now stands several years in the rearview mirror, Howard says “I don't know. I probably would've announced it more casually.”

He continues: "It's like… I don't want to answer, but I want to be polite. I will say that we want it to fill that role of the ultimate fantasy-world simulator. And there are different ways to accomplish that given the time that has passed."

Howard’s honesty is refreshing. Development of Starfield definitely took longer than many anticipated, while games like Fallout 5 and The Elder Scrolls 6 won’t grace our screens for the next decade or so, perhaps even longer with how the industry is going. Five years is a long time in the world of those who play video games, but in this modern landscape where the biggest and brightest are more expensive and more labour intensive than ever, it isn’t very long at all when you start to break it all down.

Sadly, the public doesn’t always see this reality for what it really is in a world where we have more content and live service titles than ever. Bethesda used to rule the roost with its expansive RPG offerings, but now it’s set to deliver a new experience for the first time in years that must prove itself. Who knows how much more change will need to be factored in once The Elder Scrolls 6 finally breaks cover.

The previous two console generations saw Bethesda release the following:

  • The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion
  • Fallout 3
  • The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
  • Fallout 4
  • Multiple expansions for all of the above games

Now, in a single generation, all we have to show is some free updates for Fallout 4, ports for Skyrim, and Starfield. Downloadable content and updates will follow for the latter, but it feels almost surreal to consider the relative spaces of time and content released within them. As a kid I played Oblivion and Fallout 3 to death, while Skyrim ushered in my final teenage years with ample circumstance. All of these games have since sunk into the societal zeitgeist and become objects of culture unto their own, replayed countless times and becoming some of the most modded games in existence because their audiences are so loyal and ambitious.

Video games and how they exist in today’s world are almost incomparable to five years ago, let alone ten, and in that time Bethesda has been hard at work on a single game which soon will release bearing all the design conventions that have since evolved underneath its feet that it is powerless to change. Starfield will be fine, and even leaked first impressions point to a seemingly endless galaxy to explore ripe with possibilities, but it will be fascinating to note exactly how this game evolves and changes in comparison to its predecessors. It can’t hope to replicate their success, and will instead walk its own path in the modern day when almost anything is possible.

So, to clear the air surrounding The Elder Scrolls 6 is the best thing Howard could have done, because who knows what the medium or the world will be like once it’s on the horizon. Right now it feels nebulous, so far away that it doesn’t bear thinking about.

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