7 years later, Todd Howard says The Elder Scrolls 6 is still „a long way off.” Will it be worth the wait?

If you are a fan of the Elder Scrolls series and have been patiently waiting for any updates on The Elder Scrolls 6, then unfortunately, Todd Howard has some bad news for you. The game is not canceled or anything drastic like that, but in a recent interview with GQ, the executive producer at Bethesda told fans that The Elder Scrolls 6 is “still a long way off.” This news comes about 7 years after the game's initial announcement at E3 2018, so the wait has already been quite long. The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim was released in 2011, leaving an even longer gap between this and its sequel than there is between Grand Theft Auto 5 and 6. Do fans have this kind of patience?

The Elder Scrolls 6 is still “a long way off,” according to Todd Howard

Bethesda has a lot on its plate right now. They are typically known as a one-game-at-a-time studio, but that has hardly been the case for a long time. As Howard mentions in the GQ interview, they “have hundreds of people on Fallout right now, with 76 and some other things we’re doing…” which no doubt includes season 2 of the highly praised Fallout TV show adaptation, and the Fallout 4 Anniversary Edition released today. But Howard also claims that “The Elder Scrolls 6 is the everyday thing.” Let’s not forget about Starfield either, as fans expect the next DLC, rumored to be titled Terran Armada, to launch sometime soon.

Bethesda earned a powerful reputation in the gaming world thanks in no small part to games like Skyrim, Fallout 3, and Fallout 4. But in recent years, with other studios like Obsidian creating incredible Western-style RPGs like Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2, and Bethesda only having the mixed reception of Starfield and a sloppy launch of Fallout 76 to show since 2018, the question arises: will The Elder Scrolls 6 be worth this long a wait? Fans have already been waiting 7 years since the initial reveal, and if it’s still “a long way off,” does that mean it will reach 10 years?

Howard’s comments were shared on social media by The Game Awards, and fans couldn’t help themselves in the comments. One user posted an image of a skeleton sitting in a chair with the caption, “how it feels waiting for Elder Scrolls 6.” Other users offered great advice, such as “Maybe we should stop revealing games so early,” which, thankfully, seems to be a growing trend elsewhere in the industry.

Social media posts responding to Howard's comments.Source: Twitter / X

Ultimately, there’s no telling how long it will be, but I would be surprised if Elder Scrolls 6 launches before the end of 2027. So far, it’s been literally just a 30-second teaser trailer announcing that they are working on the project. If it’s still a long way off today, then to me, that signals at least a few more years of waiting. The time could also be compounded by Bethesda’s desire to get this one right. They would rather take another year to make sure it all works than put this game out early.

The Elder Scrolls VI

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• Overview

• The Elder Scrolls (franchise)
• Todd Howard
• Bethesda