Fans will be waiting a long time at this rate.
If fans are expecting for Elder Scrolls 6 to be released anytime soon, they probably shouldn’t hold their breaths. After appearing on IGN’s Unlocked Podcast, Xbox head honcho, Phil Spencer, said that Elder Scrolls 6 won’t be released until after Fable 4’s release.
Fun fact: Fable 4 doesn’t have a release date yet.
So fans shouldn’t be holding their breath for Xbox or Bethesda to give them more information about Elder Scrolls 6. Bethesda has made it clear that Starfield is their main priority even though they’ve released very little information about it. The official teaser trailer of it did give fans more of a visual, but not much is known about the story or anything else. However, a release date was finally released: 11/11/2022. Fans finally rejoiced at knowing this bit of information and knew they were getting a little closer to the Elder Scrolls 6 being released.
ENTER: REDFALL
When word got around about Zenimax trying to trademark Redfall, many Elder Scrolls fans assumed this was part of the title for the Elder Scrolls 6. It did sound like a title for it. There’s The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall and The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard. Many fans assumed that it was maybe a combination of the two names and plenty of theories started pouring in. Most fans assumed that it would take place in either High Rock, Hammerfell, or both. Some fans were questioning this since the Elder Scrolls games usually take place in a different province. However, after the teaser trailer was released, plenty of theories with strong arguments are floating around. Some fans thought that Hammerfell is a strong candidate for the next game to place in based on what they’ve seen in the trailer.
Then, their hopes were dashed when the trailer for Redfall came out. Instead of a fantasy RPG world that looks familiar, it was a post-apocalyptic world with vampires and a cool-looking cast of characters.
While fans were excited at a new game that looks good, they were also disappointed that they’re back to square one when it comes to Elder Scrolls 6. Of course, this hasn’t stopped the theories from coming in, but it has slowed them down and left fans wanting to know more.
There’s really nothing fans can do at this point except wait. Bethesda has remained unmovably strong and standing their ground when it comes to the Elder Scrolls 6. They have consistently told fans that it will be a long time before it comes out and Starfield is their main focus. With this news from Spencer, it seems like fans will be waiting a very long time.
The horizon is looking pretty dark from here For some fans…
If the wait isn’t making fans anxious enough, there’s a new problem some will have to worry about…
Microsoft owns Bethesda.
Microsoft makes the Xbox.
See the problem here?
Starfield is going to be released for PC and Xbox, but not PlayStation as far as we know. Fable 4 is going to be for Xbox as well as Redfall. This leaves fans worried that the Elder Scrolls 6 will be for only Xbox and PC. A valid worry since it’s no secret that Microsoft and Sony are known for making popular games exclusive to their consoles. The upcoming Final Fantasy 16 game is going to be exclusive to the PlayStation 5 and be strong competition for Microsoft, possibly making them lose a lot of money. Bethesda has yet to say if Elder Scrolls 6 will be Xbox exclusive, but fans who own PlayStations should brace themselves for the possible bad news.
Now, would this be a wise choice to make it exclusive for PC and Xbox?
Naturally, it would be best to release it for both consoles and PC. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim alone has made approximately $620,000,000 since its release back in 2011 and is one of the best-selling games of all time. Excluding PlayStation users will affect those numbers heavily. While it might not result in a huge financial loss, the Elder Scrolls 6 might not get close to making that much. Plus, the fan backlash is also something that they probably won’t want to deal with.
I’m no expert when it comes to business and numbers, but I would think that releasing it on both consoles would be beneficial for everyone. However, the rivalry between Sony and Microsoft is not something fans should blow off as a petty rivalry. I’m pretty sure Microsoft wasn’t too happy when they learned that Final Fantasy 16 would be PlayStation 5 exclusive. This could give them enough reason to make Elder Scrolls 6 Xbox exclusive just to get back at Sony.
Until Bethesda tells more, us PlayStation fans are left waiting on the edge of our seats and hoping Elder Scrolls 6 will be released on the PlayStation too.
Thoughts on this? Leave a comment down below.
-simplesarah
Sarah's Simple Scrawls 