Elder Scrolls 6: Bethesda's Been Playing It, But Don't Expect a Release Date Conjured Anytime Soon
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Bethesda's Todd Howard has finally nudged the dragon, confirming *The Elder Scrolls 6* is actively in playtesting, a welcome if still vague update after seven years of digital silence, reminding us that truly great games are 'played, not made' (just not by us, yet!).
Bloody hell, mate, remember that Elder Scrolls 6 teaser from 2018? Feels like a lifetime ago, doesn't it? Well, buckle up, because Todd Howard, the man who occasionally appears from the æther to drop tantalizing morsels, has finally given us a *bit* more to chew on. And apparently, they're actually *playing* it. No, not you, unfortunately. Still them.
After a cool seven years since Bethesda first teased a follow-up to the legendary *Skyrim* – a game that's probably been ported to more toasters than I've had hot dinners – news on *The Elder Scrolls 6* has been rarer than a friendly Daedra. We've mostly just known it exists, somewhere out there in the digital ether, and that we'll be waiting a good long while before we get our grubby mitts on it.
In a recent chat with British GQ (cheers to Patricia Hernandez over at Polygon for digging this up!), Howard, who probably gets more questions about TES6 than he does about his own breakfast, was careful to manage expectations. Nope, it's *still* not dropping anytime soon. But he did throw us a few bones, like a wizard sharing crumbs from his enchanted feast, giving us a peek into what's cooking.
Despite hundreds of folks still beavering away on *Fallout 76* – which, fair dinkum, has come a long way – Howard revealed that *The Elder Scrolls 6* is now the 'everyday thing' development-wise. It sounds like returning to Tamriel is Bethesda's primary focus right now, which is pretty exciting stuff for anyone who's ever dreamt of riding a dragon or accidentally stealing a sweet roll (don't act like you haven't).
The process is apparently far enough along that Bethesda recently had a 'big play test.' The team used it to see what was actually in the game, what still needed a good bit of magic, and where they're at in this epic quest of development. Howard, ever the philosopher of pixels, dropped a classic: 'Great games are played, not made. The screen doesn’t lie.' Reckon that's a pretty wizard way of saying they're kicking the tires, seeing what sparks, and what just… fizzles out. Like when I tried to conjure a pizza and accidentally turned my monitor into a pepperoni slice.
Now, Howard also mused that 'it’s good for an audience to have a break' from the series. And look, I get it, sometimes you need to recharge your mana. But seven years since the *teaser*? That's more of a hibernation than a break, mate. Still, if it means they’re cooking up something genuinely special, a 'more than a plus one' sequel, as he puts it, maybe it’s worth the wait. He even credited *Starfield* for giving the studio a 'creative reset,' which, if you ask me, sounds like they needed to clear out the digital cobwebs before tackling another Tamriel-sized adventure.
So, while our dreams of frolicking in a new Tamriel any time soon might remain firmly in the realm of distant prophecies, at least we know Bethesda is, in fact, doing *something* beyond staring intensely at that single, iconic logo. They’re playing it, mate. Just not with us. Yet. Big shout out to Patricia Hernandez over at Polygon for catching these tidbits from the British GQ interview! It gives us a glimmer of hope that one day, we'll cast our own spells in *The Elder Scrolls 6*.
Tags: Elder Scrolls 6, Bethesda, Todd Howard, Game Development, RPG
Original article: Polygon