Those hopingThe Elder Scrollsmight be next in line for Bethesda development received a major blow this week, asGame Studios’ head Todd Howardreveals the title is not in “active development.” Apparently the studio has other projects to focus on first, and then things will eventually transition to the popular fantasy RPG series.
Although Bethesda Game Studios has expanded to include a number of development titles and partner studios, the company still has two key franchises:FalloutandThe Elder Scrolls. Last year, Bethesda (the developer and publisher) put outFallout 4, and with it brought an end to a years-long wait for a post-apocalyptic sequel. However, the release ofFallout 4also did something else: it putThe Elder Scrollsfranchise on the clock.
Yes, it’s true thatThe Elder Scrolls Onlinereleased in 2014, but that was neither a Bethesda-developed product nor the type ofElder Scrollsgame that most fans think of when they think of a sequel. What most players want isThe Elder Scrolls 6.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t sound as ifThe Elder Scrolls 6is any closer to release, at least if Bethesda director Todd Howard is to be believed. In a recent interview with Glixel, Howard revealed thatThe Elder Scrollsis not“what you would call a big, active project right now.”He then goes on to say that the studio has other “ones” in various stages of development, while still acknowledging that the game will release “one day.”
Obviously this news is going to come as a disappointment to a lot of gamers, many of whom hoped thatThe Elder Scrollswould be next in line for Bethesda, even as Bethesda continued to push those expectations away. Clearly the studio has other projects to attend to first, and those could include anything from new IPs to newmobile titles likeFallout Shelter.
A new IP might be the most intriguing prospect, considering Bethesda hasn’t delivered one of those in quite some time. It has been a healthy rotation ofFalloutandElder Scrollspractically since Bethesda Game Studios began.
The delay betweenElder Scrollstitle is promising, though, because it gives Bethesda enough time to improve its graphics engine for current-gen consoles. For as much asFallout 4was an improvement over its predecessors, many noted that thegame didn’t look and feel that much “better.”Hopefully,The Elder Scrolls 6can succeed whereFalloutdidn’t, and truly wow the fanbase with impressive visuals and gameplay.
There’s no doubt thatThe Elder Scrollswill happen, in the minds of fans and in the mind of Todd Howard, but when exactly that might be is a little less clear than we thought. Perhaps Bethesda might have more to say on the matter at E3 2017, where the studio is expected to host its third annual pre-E3 press conference.
