Like most Xbox-owned studios, Bethesda was impacted by the recent “reset” layoffs. In particular, the team at ZeniMax, which works on Elder Scrolls Online, was reportedly decimated. But Bethesda Game Studios is far from shut down, with Xbox prioritizing getting new games from its biggest franchises out as soon as possible. In a new official statement, Bethesda has outlined what’s next from the game studio, including its top priorities. And for Elder Scrolls fans like me, it certainly sounds like good news.
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On July 17th, Bethesda shared a lengthy official statement via its @BethesdaStudios social media accounts. The memo, titled “A Note from Bethesda Game Studios,” outlines what’s next across several core Bethesda IPs. In a strange move, the note begins with confirmation that Starfield development will continue despite the game’s lukewarm reception. But then, Bethesda gets to the good stuff, including the future of Fallout and, of course, The Elder Scrolls. The studio is “building for the future” of its core franchises, and that includes a primary focus on finally bringing us Elder Scrolls 6
Bethesda Team Reportedly Happy with Elder Scrolls 6 Development
In a section of the statement with the header “The Elder Scrolls and Beyond,” Bethesda outlines what’s next for the franchise. And it includes a rare, if vague, official update on progress for The Elder Scrolls 6. Much of what we know about the game so far comes from rumors, speculation, and vague comments Todd Howard has made in interviews. But today, Bethesda’s official update addresses The Elder Scrolls 6 elephant in the room head-on… kind of.
Specifically, the update reaffirms that “The Elder Scrolls VI is our primary development focus today.” The majority of the team is working on the game, and acknowledges that “it’s been a very long wait for the sequel.” You can certainly say that again. But despite the lengthy time between the initial announcement and really any new details about The Elder Scrolls 6, the team is supposedly happy with how things are going.
“We’re where we planned to be, loving how it looks, and playing it every day,” the statement confirms. Previous reports confirmed that ES6 was in a playable state, but from the sounds of it, it’s quite playable as the development team works on the project. I’m sure I speak for many fans when I say that we, too, would like to be playing The Elder Scrolls 6 every day. But at any rate, this comment suggests that the development isn’t stalled by unexpected delays or major issues. Instead, it’s just moving along at a slow but steady pace, all according to plan. With any luck, that plan will include letting fans finally experience the new Elder Scrolls game in the next few years.
The Elder Scrolls Online Lives On as Bethesda and ZeniMax Tighten Partnership
Along with confirmation that The Elder Scrolls 6 is well underway, Bethesda’s update sheds light on another element of the beloved fantasy franchise. With ZeniMax Online Studios heavily impacted by recent layoffs, many fans feared for the future of The Elder Scrolls Online. Today, Bethesda confirms that ZeniMax Online “will partner closely with Bethesda Game Studios” on The Elder Scrolls franchise going forward.
The team will reportedly keep working on “incredible new experiences for The Elder Scrolls Online.” That’s pretty good news for players, as the game’s ambitious 2026 roadmap looked pretty promising before layoffs hit. But the wording of the statement suggests that ZeniMax could be involved in other Elder Scrolls projects as well. Whether that simply means they’re keeping their options open or that ZeniMax has another new Elder Scrolls project underway remains to be seen. But from the sounds of it, ESO isn’t shutting down any time soon, even if its team was heavily impacted by the recent restructuring.
For my fellow Elder Scrolls fans, this is a reassuring, if vague, update. Though it doesn’t give us any concrete details about the next game, it does confirm that Bethesda knows we’re eagerly waiting to see it. And from the sounds of it, the team is happy with what they have so far. Here’s hoping they’re ready to actually show us some of it soon.
Are you happy to hear that Bethesda is happy with The Elder Scrolls 6, or do you need more concrete info to care at this point? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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