‘Playable’ The Elder Scrolls 6 has us hopeful for a fast-tracked release

‘Playable’ The Elder Scrolls 6 has us hopeful for a fast-tracked release
Images via Bethesda

Written by 

Joseph Kime

Published 

26th Mar 2024 12:15

After over a decade of success with Skyrim, The Elder Scrolls 6 has been in the public consciousness for some time, and presumably, in development for a lot longer. Even now, players are losing hope that it's going to live up to the hype.

After all, Starfield didn't hit quite like Bethesda had hoped it would, with complaints of dull travel and empty planets overshadowing the tidy Bethesda writing along the way. Some are expecting the pretty dated gameplay structure of the company's games will bog down even a franchise as airtight as The Elder Scrolls.

It doesn't help that it's been many years since the game's reveal, plaguing players with worries that it'll be too little, too late when it finally launches. Thankfully, new development claims have us feeling refreshed when it comes to potentially playing The Elder Scrolls 6 soon. Or soon-ish.

The Elder Scrolls 6 is reportedly in a playable state

As Bethesda celebrates 30 years of the iconic Elder Scrolls franchise, it's honoured the occasion by recapping the company's long journey with the titles. It's also revealed that development on the next game in the series has reached a crucial stage.

Bethesda has claimed that there are still "early builds" to refine, but that devs are actually in and playing The Elder Scrolls 6 in testing. "Last but not least, yes, we are in development on the next chapter - The Elder Scrolls VI," reads the reflective post.

"Even now, returning to Tamriel and playing early builds has us filled with the same joy, excitement, and promise of adventure." This is an interesting note to leave the post on, with Bethesda claiming that testers are being offered the chance to experience Tamriel through the upcoming game's lens.

We don't know how far into development the team is, but this is certainly promising.

Elder Scrolls 6 is still likely a while off

The landscape of Tamriel revealed by the announcement of The Elder Scrolls 6.
Click to enlarge
Image via Bethesda

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Don't get too excited yet because expectations are still firmly on The Elder Scrolls 6 not rearing its head in the next couple of years. Remember how long it took to launch Starfield and that there's still the planned Shattered Space DLC/other updates to contend with. 

Estimations put The Elder Scrolls 6's launch in 2026 at the earliest, which is a shame considering how long ago Bethesda revealed it. Still, it's fair enough when considering just how vast and sprawling this new version of Tamriel must be.

The Elder Scrolls 6 is looking to be Bethesda's biggest game so far, and fans are certainly hoping so for the company's sake. They say that patience is a virtue, and when it comes to the next fantasy epic, the wait will be worth it.

Joseph Kime
About the author
Joseph Kime
Joseph Kime is the Senior Trending News Journalist for GGRecon from Devon, UK. Before graduating from MarJon University with a degree in Journalism, he started writing music reviews for his own website before writing for the likes of FANDOM, Zavvi and The Digital Fix. He is host of the Big Screen Book Club podcast, and author of Building A Universe, a book that chronicles the history of superhero movies. His favourite games include DOOM (2016), Celeste and Pokemon Emerald.
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