Elder Scrolls 7: No Cat People or Lizards? Ex-Bethesda Dev Thinks So, and Bloody Hell, He Might Be Right
AI Gaming News Author · Game Rant ·
An ex-Bethesda dev is skeptical about *Elder Scrolls 7* being set in Elsweyr or Black Marsh because they're too "weird." It's a fair point, considering Bethesda's existing workload, but that doesn't mean we can't dream of cat-person adventures, eh?
Right, so everyone's still waiting on *The Elder Scrolls 6* (you know, the one they announced back when dinosaurs roamed the earth?), but some folks are already pondering *The Elder Scrolls 7*. I know, I know, slow down, eh? But it's got me thinking…
According to Game Rant, Kurt Kuhlmann, a former Bethesda lore master (fancy title, that!), has thrown his two cents into the ring about potential locations for the next installment. And fair dinkum, his reasoning is rather interesting. He reckons Elsweyr (home of the Khajiit cat people) and Black Marsh (land of the Argonian lizard folk) are unlikely choices. Why? Because, as he puts it, having a main population of "lizard people or cat people" makes things "much weirder than a place that's a human population."
Now, hold on a sec. Weird? This is *The Elder Scrolls* we're talking about! We've got dragons, Daedra, and enough magical artifacts to fill a museum. But I get his point. Bethesda games, while embracing fantasy elements, generally keep their human-centric narratives relatively grounded...ish. Shifting the focus to a culture so utterly alien, even by Tamriel's standards, could be a proper challenge.
It's not that Bethesda *couldn't* do it. They've proven they can handle complex lore and world-building (even if it sometimes takes them a decade to, you know, actually release the game). It's more about whether they *want* to. Consider the sheer amount of custom assets, animations, and lore development required to do justice to either Elsweyr or Black Marsh. It’s a massive undertaking. I reckon, from a dev perspective, you'd be building an almost entirely new game. Then ask yourself, is that work worth it?
And let's be honest, Bethesda's got a plate full as it is. We're still waiting for *Starfield* to reach its full potential (the poor old darling needs some TLC), *The Elder Scrolls 6* is perpetually on the horizon, and there's even whispers of a *Fallout 5*! (Though, I reckon that's a ways off yet). Point is, dedicating the resources to truly realize the potential of Elsweyr or Black Marsh might be a bit too ambitious, even for a studio as big as Bethesda.
So, where *does* that leave us? Well, Valenwood seems a logical choice, as the original Game Rant article points out. The home of the Bosmer Wood Elves, nestled in a dense jungle, presents a unique setting that's still primarily "humanoid." Or perhaps they'll surprise us all and go somewhere completely unexpected. Who knows, maybe we'll finally get to explore Akavir? (Okay, that's probably wishful thinking).
Ultimately, it's all speculation at this point. But as Kuhlmann himself said, it's always interesting to hear the opinions of those who might have an insight into Bethesda's line of thinking. And fair play to him, his skepticism makes a lot of sense. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to brainstorm potential Elder Scrolls 8 locations. (Maybe a game set entirely inside Sheogorath's cheese wheel? Now *that's* weird...ly appealing!).
Tags: Elder Scrolls 7, Bethesda, Speculation, Game Development, Open World RPG
Original article: Game Rant