The Elder Scrolls VI: Bethesda does not reassure players with this announcement

Different games, same combat. Fans of GTA VI and The Elder Scrolls VI are in substantially similar boats. Notable difference, their studios. While Rockstar never communicates, or almost never. Bethesda tends to say too much. And while six years have already passed since the announcement of TES VI in E3 2018, Bethesda is back with an announcement that will not reassure players.

The long wait for The Elder Scrolls VI

Arena, Daggerfall, Morrowind, Oblivion, Skyrim, The Elder Scrollshas been gathering for over 30 years. But with its fifth installment, released in 2011, the franchise has become legendary. Many studios have wanted their Skyrim. Same problem for many players, eager to find the same sensations as their beginnings in Skyrim. Bethesda has taken advantage of the success of its game to monetize it as it should be, with three DLCs, Dawnguard, Hearthfire and Dragonborn, a remastered edition in 2016,The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Special Edition, and an anniversary edition,T he Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Anniversary Edition, in 2021.

But Skyrim, RPG lovers have visited it far and wide. And this despite the three DLCs, the additional quests and the mods. The sequel is long awaited. The future of the franchise was finally announced in 2018, at E3. The great mass of video games was undoubtedly the perfect place for such an announcement. A short teaser of just a few seconds, with a title: The Elder Scrolls VI.Since then? Nothing. An announcement that undoubtedly lacked restraint (Todd Howard himself admits it), Bethesda having had to focus on Starfield, its space RPG, since then, and until its release in September 2023.

The Starfield disappointment fuels fears about the future of The Elder Scrolls

But Starfield did not live up to players' expectations, just like its DLC, Shattered Space, released on September 30, 2024. As fans of this highly-potential title wait for Bethesda to fix its many issues, what about the future? In an interview with Gamesradar to mark the release of Shattered Space, Bethesda design director Emil Pagliarulo spoke about Starfield, including what the studio learned from its creation and whether he thought it would carry over to future projects.

“Fans really, really, really want Elder Scrolls 6.” That's a fact, and even more so since the premature announcement in 2018 and subsequent lack of communication. But before we can get our hands on The Elder Scrolls VI, Bethesda needs to give us more Starfield.That's where Gamesradar asks Pagliarulo what he thinks about the future of the space action game:

200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000

“Oh, I'm really happy with the future of Starfield. I'm really excited about what we're working on now and what's coming next. And it's amazing what our mod community has accomplished so far. I think we're getting to the point where Starfield is transcending its status as a game and becoming a kind of platform for sci-fi and space content. I mean, I expected the modding community to produce stuff. But not at the rate they're doing it. It's impressive. Inspiring. It's everything I hoped for.”

Only, this response from Bethesda has disappointed more than one player.

Gamers fearful for the future of Bethesda productions

On Reddit, in response to the sharing of the interview by Gamesradar, the most popular comment, with more than 4,000 likes, does not hide its fears about what's next:

“All this does is make me worry about ES 6. That's not the lesson we can learn from Starfield.If that's their main lesson, it means they're likely to repeat the same mistakes.

On the other hand, they focus on mods. Yes, mods are important, but I want the base game to be great and the mod scene to complement that. But like Starfield, I think they see mods as a way to fix their game.“

This opinion, widely shared among players, suggests an undisguised fear. “I've been so excited for ES6 for so long and been disappointed by Bethesda so many times that I honestly don't even want it anymore. I'd rather the series die with its dignity rather than being executed by Bethesda.” explains another user. “I want a game that I no longer think Bethesda is capable of creating.” shares a third.

last round and then it's gone?

Bethesda has been giving up for several years now. Fallout 76, Starfield, the latest big productions from Bethesda Game Studios are struggling to convince. Although Fallout 76 is in much better shape than it was at launch, its redemption has been long. Despite everything, with time, and especially resources, it is possible. From Diablo III, then Diablo IV, to No Man's Sky, via Fallout 76, the examples of redemption have accumulated over the years.

Will Starfield be entitled to a mea culpa? Probably. The game sold well, despite mixed reviews. Bethesda therefore has the resources to allow itself to allocate a team to improving the title, while the studio is now focusing on The Elder Scrolls VI. However, repeated bad decisions have crumbled the trust of the players. And with the immense anticipation for the sequel to the franchise, it is possible that Bethesda no longer has the right to make mistakes. TES VI will sell by the millions, that's for sure. Let's just hope that the launch is less chaotic than the last productions. In any case, that's what we wish for them, losing such a monument of video games would be absolutely sad.