The second The Elder Scrolls VI news item of the week is a rarity, to be sure. After the report of Bethesda’s silent auction to work with the highest bidder on adding a non-player character (NPC) to the game, though, we have a much juicier rumor from extas1s on the game itself.
The leaker reports info from a colleague who heard that major technical improvements will be made to the Creation Engine 2 seen in Starfield. These improvements could possibly reduce or eliminate load times between zones in an attempt to make the game feel more immersive. Needless to say, this would be a major boon to Bethesda’s games, which have always had to deal with this shortcoming.
In terms of setting, the rumor confirms previous speculations that the game will take place in both Hammerfell and High Rock, the homes of the Redguards and Bretons, respectively. Interestingly, according to the source, The Elder Scrolls VI could feature between twelve and thirteen major cities, which would be a major step up from Skyrim, where there are only four or five that could really be considered that way.
Perhaps one of the most intriguing details reported is that the game will feature naval exploration, combat, and shipbuilding. This would be a transformed version of what we saw in Starfield, although of course, naval exploration and combat in the actual sea instead of space would be very different. Likewise, we might see the return of another feature seen in Starfield but originally introduced with Fallout 4: Settlements. Again, this would be expanded to allow players to build and customize villages and fortresses.
The character progression is said to be completely freeform, with improvements to the magic and melee combat systems. Lastly, dragons would be featured prominently, not only through boss encounters but also in the story.
Perhaps the most unlikely part of the rumor is that we could see a teaser for The Elder Scrolls VI as early as this June, presumably at the Xbox Game Showcase, alongside the reveal of the rumored Oblivion remaster/remake. This seems really farfetched, to be honest. Bethesda is known for only showing their games relatively close to release, and it’s nowhere near time for that. Starfield only launched in September 2023, so realistically, The Elder Scrolls VI won’t be released before 2027.
Anyway, what do you think of these details? Would you be happy if they were confirmed? Let us know in the comments.
