The Elder Scrolls 6 Tipped To Be An Xbox Exclusive

Things have been a bit quiet in Tamriel recently, but that doesn't mean we haven't been anxiously looking at what's ahead with the next chapter of The Elder Scrolls. Even as Bethesda keeps churning out versions of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - with the addition of fishing - we know The Elder Scrolls 6 is out there somewhere.

It's already been a decade since Skyrim continued the impressive legacy of The Elder Scrolls and went on to rightly earn the title of being one of the best video games of all time. A lot had changed since then, and with Microsoft's recent record-breaking acquisition of Bethesda, there's word that The Elder Scrolls 6 will be an Xbox exclusive... forever!

Will The Elder Scrolls 6 be an Xbox exclusive?

Despite some thinking Bethesda's Pete Hines hinted at Starfield on PlayStation 5, GamesBeat's Jeff Grubb has debunked it in a pretty damning tweet. Added to this, Grubb has dropped a double bombshell that The Elder Scrolls 6 will also be locked to Microsoft. Eeeeek, now could be a good time to buy an Xbox Series. In his tweet, Grubb confidently tells fans, "Elder Scrolls 6 is planned as Xbox exclusive as well."

None of this really matters. Xbox head honcho Phil Spencer has already reiterated our chances of seeing The Elder Scrolls 6 are a long way off. Unsurprisingly, Starfield is the current priority, which will then be followed by Xbox staple Fable. Remembering that Starfield is still a year away, it's likely The Elder Scrolls will ditch the Xbox One to eventually release on Xbox Series X/S and PC. By then though, there could be a whole new Xbox Series successor to deal with as well.

News of an Xbox exclusive release for The Elder Scrolls 6 obviously split fandom, with some calling Microsoft greedy and others saying it was expected. One wrote, "It will be eventually. Probably after 2-3 years. People can’t tell me in this day in age actually believe these executives. And no I’m not just talking Microsoft. Sony had been doing the same sh*t", while another added, "Elder Scrolls is too big, it transcends the Microsoft acquisition, you'll see."

A third concluded, "Not really fussed with starfield or ES6 but keeping them to a console that has barely sold half of what ps5 has done just seems abit dumb to me, they spent billions on the studio and to ignore an opportunity to make that much money is just bad business."

What happens if The Elder Scrolls 6 is an Xbox exclusive?

We'd already heard that Starfield will launch next year as an Xbox exclusive, but there was the idea these kinds of AAA games could eventually be released on other platforms. On the other side of the coin, Sony is known for having the keys to its kingdom and refusing to share. Exclusives like Uncharted, God of War, and Ghost of Tsushima require you to grab a PS4 or PS5 (if you can get one).

But is this all fair? Only recently, Sony doubled down on the fact it's going to focus on its own IPs instead of concentrating on PC ports. There's been great success bringing Days Gone and Horizon Zero Dawn to PC, but Sony Studios boss Hermen Hulst has reiterated more PC ports aren't a "priority" for the Microsoft rival. It seems Microsoft is simply playing Sony at its own game. 

It's important to remember, all of the above is just hearsay. Plans change a lot, and it's only recently that Bethesda has even joined the Microsoft family. No one from high up has confirmed or denied any of the above, so take the idea of an Xbox-only Elder Scrolls 6 with a heavy pinch of salt. Still, we can't wait to play as Khajiits all over again.