The Elder Scrolls 6 Is 'Still a Long Way Off', Says Bethesda Director Todd Howard

The Elder Scrolls 6, Bethesda's follow-up to The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, was announced at E3 in 2018. In the seven years since, E3 is dead and there's still no word on when the RPG will be released. Now, Bethesda director Todd Howard has said that The Elder Scrolls 6 is “still a long way off.”

In a new interview with GQ, the Bethesda veteran talked about the 10-year anniversary of Fallout 4, the next Elder Scrolls, among other things. Despite seven years of waiting since The Elder Scrolls 6 was revealed, Howard said that the game was “still a long way off.”

“I'm preaching patience,” he said. “I don't want fans to feel anxious.”

Howard acknowledged that the gap between two Elder Scrolls games had grown too long. Skyrim first launched on PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 in 2011, making it close to 15 years since a new mainline Elder Scrolls game was released

“I do like to have a break between them, where it isn't like a “plus one” sequel,” Howard said. “I think it's also good for an audience to have a break – The Elder Scrolls has been too long, let's be clear.”

The Elder Scrolls 6 Still in Development

Development on the game, however, is continuing. Bethesda had said in 2023 that The Elder Scrolls 6 was in early development. In the interview, Howard said that development on the RPG was the main focus of the studio now, alongside other projects.

“We have hundreds of people on Fallout right now, with 76 and some other things we're doing, but The Elder Scrolls 6 is the everyday thing,” he said.

The Bethesda game director also confirmed that the studio recently held a “big” closed playtest for The Elder Scrolls 6 to gather feedback and see how the game was playing. There is, however, still no confirmation on when the game will launch. Bethesda has not yet announced a release window for The Elder Scrolls 6.

Back in June 2023, during the US FTC trial over Microsoft's acquisition of Activision, Xbox chief Phil Spencer had said the game was at least five plus years away, suggesting The Elder Scrolls 6 would not be released before 2028. That makes it highly likely that the RPG will eventually launch on next-generation consoles, PS6 and the next Xbox, which are believed to be targeting a 2027 launch.

Back in 2024, Howard had suggested that Bethesda was working on two unannounced Fallout projects. The developer has not yet confirmed the games. Bethesda, however, just released Fallout 4 Anniversary Edition on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox on November 10.

Earlier this year, Bethesda released The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series S/X.