Fan Theory Claims Bethesda Stealth Confirmed Elder Scrolls 6 Release Window (& It’s Pretty Convincing)

Like many longtime Elder Scrolls fans, I couldn’t help but get my hopes up a little bit when Todd Howard walked on stage at The Game Awards. Though prior comments all but confirmed Elder Scrolls 6 wouldn’t be making an appearance this year, many couldn’t help but hope Bethesda was finally ready to give us something on the game. Instead, Bethesda yet again re-released Skyrim earlier this month, this time with a new Switch 2 edition. But in our collective desperation for news about the next Elder Scrolls game, some fans think they’ve uncovered a hidden code that reveals the release window.

When Skyrim re-released once more for the Switch 2, Bethesda put out a live-action trailer to reveal the news. In the roughly 2-minute announcement video, an elf accidentally deletes Santa’s wishlist. This leads to the brilliant idea for Bethesda to go ahead and give everyone Skyrim on Switch 2 for the holidays this year. It’s a fun wink and nod at how often this game has been re-released, and at first, we thought that’s all it was. But now, some fans think Bethesda hid a secret message in that Skyrim trailer.

Detail in Skyrim Switch 2 Trailer Could Tease The Elder Scrolls 6 Release Window

After Santa replaces the elf who deleted the gift list, the new recruit suggests giving the gift of Skyrim. When Santa looks pleased by the idea, a familiar Skyrim skill bar appears over the elf’s head. By offering this brilliant idea to re-release Skyrim on Switch 2, the elf has increased his Speech skill. And the numbers involved sure seem to suggest that Bethesda might want us to pay special attention to the year 2027, as one fan pointed out in the Elder Scrolls 6 Subreddit.

As you can see, the elf’s Speech skill specifically hit level 27, bringing the elf a bit closer to character level 20. Put them together, and they could be a hint that Elder Scrolls 6 will release in 2027. The choice of numbers certainly seems intentional, and many fans would love to see the new game come out that soon. But some of Howard’s other recent comments could contradict the theory.

Howard has heavily implied that Elder Scrolls 6 will shadow drop when it’s ready. So it’s fairly likely the next thing we hear from Bethesda will arrive on the same day, or shortly before, they plan to release it. But Howard also said it would be “a while” before that happens. That timeframe is up for interpretation, so it could simply mean that we shouldn’t expect Elder Scrolls 6 in 2026. That said, 2027 is still relatively soon in gaming years and might not quite align with the suggestion that we’ve got a wait ahead of us.

Given that Bethesda hasn’t told us anything outright, it’s possible the Skyrim trailer wasn’t trying to tease an Elder Scrolls 6 release window at all. Even if those Speech numbers are a teaser, they could be hinting at some other Elder Scrolls news, like the next time Bethesda plans to re-release Skyrim. Some fans have even begun theorizing that the game will get a new remaster following the success of Oblivion Remastered, and that could very well be what the 2027 tease means.

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Whether we’re just overly hopeful or not, many fans think this theory is pretty credible. “Level 20 and speech increase to 27 is pretty specific,” notes one Redditor. The theory is certainly making the rounds on social media, as fans like me daydream of the day we finally get Elder Scrolls 6. Until then, we’ll just have to keep coming up with theories and rely on games like Oblivion Remastered and Elder Scrolls Online to get our fix.

What do you think of this fan theory for the Elder Scrolls 6 release window? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!