This year’s Xbox Games Showcase turned out quite strong, from reveals for State of Decay 3 and Gears of War: E-Day to shocking announcements like the return of console exclusives. However, as with every year, the absence of The Elder Scrolls 6 could be felt. Announced in 2018 with a teaser trailer, it’s been eight years with no release window, gameplay or indication of another reveal.
Speaking to XBOX chief content officer Matt Booty, Variety asked how he dealt with excitement for a potential appearance alongside the disappointment? “I would say one of the more challenging balancing acts of someone in a job like mine is balancing that you want to go show the world all the cool stuff you’re working on, and you want to get them excited early, but we also know that we want to wait till the right moment,” he said.
“And when you decide to show it, you want it to be the best you’ve got. And also that when you show the game, you’re also giving them a promise of, hey, it’s coming soon. So I can tell you, having visited Bethesda and sat with Todd and seen ‘Elder Scrolls‘ playing, it looks amazing, and it’s coming along well. And we’ll make sure to announce it and really reveal it at the right time.”
The Elder Scrolls 6 is developed on Creation Engine 3, with director Todd Howard stating the “majority of this building”, referring to Bethesda’s HQ, is working on it. He spoke last December about how it’s “progressing really well,” though once again, there’s been no indication for when it could be revealed. If anything, Howard would prefer fans pretend that Bethesda didn’t even announce it in the first place.
The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered helped take some of the edge off when it launched last year, but the lack of post-launch support and lingering issues have left a sour taste in fans’ mouths. Remasters for Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas are allegedly in the works, but they’re seemingly a ways off.
So for now, all that’s really left to do is wait and watch the Bethesda logo appear at a showcase, and hope.
