Bethesda dev claims Elder Scrolls 6 was announced too early
When it comes to leaving us danging on a hook like an open-mouthed bass, it's up for debate whether Bethesda or Rockstar Games is the worst offender at this. Just thank yourselves lucky it's not the 26 years between Battletoads Arcade & Battletoads.
Bethesda definitely has its plate full right now, with Starfield only just taking flight and promises that The Elder Scrolls 6 is next. Spare a thought for those hoping to see Fallout 5 anytime soon, as the radioactive romp is confirmed to be even further out.
Bethesda dev says Elder Scrolls 6 was announced too early
Much like how GTA V has been chugging along nicely for the past decade, there are accusations that the success of its predecessor is holding back the next entry in the long-running Elder Scrolls series. There's a lot of pressure on developers to keep churning out titles, with added complaints when they don't hit their proposed release dates.
We saw it with Cyberpunk 2077, and we saw it with Hogwarts Legacy, with both being delayed multiple times and angry gamers sharpening their pitchforks. Apparently, it isn't just missed release windows that have you behaving like a pack of Medieval villagers hunting a werewolf.
Speaking to MinnMaxx, Skyrim Lead Designer and Starfield Systems Designer Bruce Nesmith explained how Todd Howard was pushed into announcing The Elder Scrolls 6 at E3 2018. "The company took years of hits for not talking about The Elder Scrolls 6," said Nesmith.
Saying that he shares the same opinion as Todd Howard, Nesmith continued, "The video game industry has short memories. Those companies that start touting their games years ahead of time, you know, they screw themselves. The best time to start talking about it is six months before release."
What do we know about The Elder Scrolls 6?
Click to enlargeAs for why the Bethesda boss seemingly jumped the gun on The Elder Scrolls 6, it sounds like you could be to blame: "Everybody was, you know, the pitchforks and torches were out. It was what got Todd to say, 'Yes we are going to do Elder Scroll 6, I promise you it's for real, It'll happen.'"
If you're already frustrated with The Elder Scrolls 6's drawn-out production process, we've got bad news for you. Although Nesmith has now left the gaming powerhouse, he concluded, "I'm betting you won't hear much in the way of details until a good six months before release, which is the way it should be."
The potentially premature announcement of The Elder Scrolls 6 has left us with little to go on. Aside from a cryptic map teaser, we've only had confirmation that the next game has finally entered full production. The FTC documents have suggested a potential 2026 launch, but we won't hold our breath.
Remembering how Fallout 4 kept its own vault of secrets locked until around six months before its 2015 release, it could be an achingly long wait until we get to see what's luring us back to Nirn. Well, at least we'll have a bit longer to uncover the secrets of Starfield.
