Bethesda has verified that The Elder Scrolls VI is now in the early stages of development, with some developers at the studio working on the sequel. Bethesda is currently concentrating on the launch and potential post-launch support of Starfield, which was revealed alongside The Elder Scrolls 6 at the 2018 E3 event. Therefore, new details about The Elder Scrolls 6 are not expected for several years.
This corresponds with Xbox head Phil Spencer's testimony during Microsoft's trial against the US FTC in June, where he indicated the game was at least five years away and vague about the platforms it would be released on. Bethesda's parent company ZeniMax was purchased by Microsoft in 2020 for $7.5 billion.
Spencer's remarks raise doubts about a release for The Elder Scrolls 6 on the Xbox Series S/X, especially considering the anticipated launch of the next-generation gaming consoles in 2028. There is speculation that the upcoming Xbox model may not have the capacity to run the game due to technical limitations, with recent challenges encountered during the development of Baldur's Gate 3 mentioned as an example.
In a 2021 interview, Bethesda revealed that the revamped Creation Engine 2 will be utilized for the development of The Elder Scrolls 6. This engine is also being used for the upcoming Starfield game, described as ‘Skyrim in space', part of Bethesda's first new universe in 25 years.
