Now that Starfield is out, Bethesda Game Studios can finally start working on its next set of epic releases, starting with The Elder Scrolls VI.
Ever since the groundbreaking announcement of this sequel to the renowned Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim in 2011, fans have been eager to get their hands on any piece of information. More recently, the million-dollar question that’s on everyone’s mind is: Will The Elder Scrolls 6 be exclusive to Xbox?
The Elder Scrolls 6’s exclusivity has been a hot topic, especially in the wake of Microsoft’s acquisition of Bethesda as well as the subsequent exclusive release of Starfield for Xbox. Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has fielded queries about the potential exclusivity of the next Elder Scrolls installment. In his recent interview with Bloomberg, he maintained the company’s stand of deciding game exclusivities on a case-by-case basis, emphasizing Microsoft’s aim to ensure that its games reach a broad audience. This is evident through their expansive Xbox ecosystem, which includes consoles, PCs, and cloud gaming.
The main argument for The Elder Scrolls VI remaining multi-platform is precedence. The award-winning franchise has been on multiple platforms for years. Thus, it should remain accessible to all. In all of Microsoft’s defenses during the Activision Blizzard acquisition cases, the company highlighted the key difference between Starfield, a new intellectual property, and a longstanding series like Call of Duty. Starfield, being a new IP, was something Xbox wanted to introduce uniquely. In contrast, Call of Duty, with its massive multi-platform player base, was unlikely to go exclusive as it would be detrimental to strip away its established audience.
The Elder Scrolls 6, however, finds itself in an intricate position. While it’s a seasoned multi-platform series, its gameplay doesn’t necessitate features like cross-play since it’s not inherently multiplayer.
To draw further parallels, the exclusivity of Starfield was staunchly defended by its director Todd Howard. Drawing an analogy, he compared the game’s exclusivity to how Zelda is intrinsically linked to Nintendo. Howard further justified that this exclusivity streamlined the development process by reducing the platforms the game had to be tailored for. His recent comments about the necessity of upgrading PCs for optimized gameplay for Starfield reinforced this notion.
Yet, Phil Spencer’s commentary on exclusivity isn’t the only source fueling the speculative fires. Evidence from the FTC court case indicated that Microsoft might have internally decided to keep all future Bethesda Softworks games as Xbox exclusives. Such revelations hint at a potential change in stance since the acquisition, as earlier titles like Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo continued their association with PlayStation 5 due to prior marketing agreements.
Of course, as previously mentioned, given Microsoft’s recent acquisition of Activision and their decision to keep Call of Duty multiplatform, restricting The Elder Scrolls to Xbox might be perceived as contradictory.
So, what does this mean for the future? The Elder Scrolls 6 is projected to hit the market in around 2028. By that time, the gaming landscape could undergo numerous changes, including potential new hardware releases, new unforeseen corporate deals, and a myriad of emerging services. The game’s release might even intersect with the advent of a new console generation. Therefore, several factors will influence The Elder Scrolls 6’s presence on other platforms.
Unfortunately, with its release still years away, fans might have to exercise patience before any concrete information on The Elder Scrolls 6 surfaces. But one thing is for sure: we’ll all be watching closely.
Speaking of watching, we still haven’t heard an update regarding the rumored remake of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Many remain skeptical that it’s indeed in development, except that this was also the case with Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater and we all know what happened.
