It looks like Bethesda and Microsoft have finally, officially, shot down any remaining hopes tied to The Elder Scrolls VI and its potential release on PlayStation 5. Following Microsoft’s acquisition of Bethesda back in 2021, fans have continued to wonder about whether or not The Elder Scrolls VI would ever end up coming to PS5. Although this possibility always seemed unlikely, those at Bethesda and Xbox have been pretty dodgy about the topic, primarily due to the fact that the next mainline Elder Scrolls game is so far off. Now, it seems that official clarification has been provided, and it’s not what PlayStation fans wanted to hear.
Shared by reporter Stephen Totilo on social media, a new document associated with the recent FTC vs. Microsoft case today went public and it happened to mention The Elder Scrolls VI and its forthcoming arrival. Specifically, this document was based on statements given by those at Microsoft and saw The Elder Scrolls VI appearing alongside a number of other Bethesda games. When looking at the column that provided more specific details associated with The Elder Scrolls VI, the game was mentioned solely as a title for Xbox and PC. With this in mind, it now seems apparent that a PS5 version isn’t happening unless plans change in the coming months or years.
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Generally speaking, this shouldn’t be considered much of a shock at all as Microsoft’s purchase of Bethesda in the first place was intended to make games like The Elder Scrolls VI exclusive to the Xbox ecosystem. Still, Xbox head Phil Spencer had said in the past that Bethesda titles with legacies on PlayStation (or other) platforms could still be released elsewhere in the future. Given that games like The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim previously launched on PS3, PlayStation fans have since continued to cross their fingers and hope for the best with the next installment. As we’ve now seen, though, it’s safe to say that those dreams are now squashed.
When Will The Elder Scrolls VI Release?
Now that The Elder Scrolls VI seems to only be planned for Xbox and PC, the next question turns to its release window. Currently, Bethesda hasn’t provided any details on the matter, which makes sense given that the company just released its latest title, Starfield, mere weeks ago. However, now that Starfield has wrapped up its initial development, those within Bethesda have confirmed that The Elder Scrolls VI is next on tap and has recently entered full production.
Elsewhere in the same document, The Elder Scrolls VI was mentioned to be releasing in “2026 or later.” Given what we’ve seen from Bethesda in the past, the “or later” seems much more likely to be the case. Given that a five-year gap transpired between Fallout 76 and Starfield, it’s feasible that another similar period of time would have to pass before The Elder Scrolls VI would launch. Hopefully, though, now that Starfield has finally arrived, it won’t be long before more details on the next Elder Scrolls game begin to emerge.
