Bethesda Comments on Elder Scrolls 6 Development

Todd Howard, Angela Browder, and Emil Pagliarulo have commented on how the development of The Elder Scrolls 6 is progressing. The gap between The Elder Scrolls 6 and its predecessor already extends beyond 14 years, and players are desperate to hear how the game is coming along.

The Elder Scrolls 6 was first announced in 2018 with a cinematic trailer that gave very little away. It was revealed so long ago, that the trailer debuted at E3, an expo that has been dead for some time now. In the years since, The Elder Scrolls 6 has hit tons of unfortunate milestones, and become almost a cautionary tale against announcing games too early. Bethesda hasn’t exactly been idle, either, releasing Starfield back in 2023. To this day, over 14 years since the launch of Skyrim, gamers have almost no knowledge about The Elder Scrolls 6, with whispers and alleged leaks their only insight into the title. Bethesda has long acknowledged that the game is in active development at this point, but remains quiet on the concrete details about The Elder Scrolls 6.

Speaking to GameInformer, multiple prominent Bethesda devs spoke about the ongoing development of The Elder Scrolls 6. Director, Executive Producer, and all-around Bethesda veteran Todd Howard claimed that the game is “progressing really well. The majority of the studio’s on VI, but I’ll say this: We always overlap. So, we’re very used to overlapping development. And we have long pre-productions on things so that we feel good about them. And it’s a process. We all wish it went a little bit faster – or a lot faster – but it’s a process that we want to get right.” Howard’s comments indicate that work on The Elder Scrolls 6 may have been very much ongoing throughout Starfield‘s active development, which could be good news for the game releasing sooner than expected.

Meanwhile, Studio Director Angela Browder commented on the game’s ambition, claiming, “sometimes I see things that are happening, and I go, ‘Angela from Skyrim days could never have envisioned seeing this like this now,’ and that is a cool thing to be a part of.” She also described The Elder Scrolls 6 as “this endless set of possibilities” that is particularly exciting for gamers who enjoy seeing “how far everything has come in our industry.” Or, in simpler terms, as she puts it, “It’s gonna be dope.”

Finally, Studio Design Director Emil Pagliarulo gave his take on the game taking as long as it is, claiming that “the time pressure that players put on us, we don’t put on ourselves,” which he acknowledges “can be frustrating for players who are dying to play a game.” He referenced the recent delay of Grand Theft Auto 6 as an example of how games take a long time to develop, particularly ones of the size that Rockstar and Bethesda are creating. He asks a few important questions for players to consider: “What do fans really want? Do they want a game that comes out before it should and doesn’t meet their expectations? Or do they want the turkey that is in the oven for long enough to be delicious when it finally comes out of the oven, you know?” After, he reiterated that Bethesda will take all the time it needs until The Elder Scrolls 6 is the game everyone wants it to be.

Earlier this year, there was some indication that Bethesda could consider a shadow-drop approach for The Elder Scrolls 6. Even after the success of Oblivion Remastered earlier this year, taking this approach for such a massive title would be unprecedented. For now, gamers just want to hear something about the title, with not even the setting being public at this point in time.

Systems

Released

2026

ESRB

m

Developer(s)

Bethesda Game Studios

Publisher(s)

Bethesda Softworks