The Elder Scrolls 6 won't be out until at least 2026

Elder Scrolls 6
(Image credit: Bethesda)

Xbox doesn't expect The Elder Scrolls 6 to release until at least 2026.

That's according to new documents from the Federal Trade Commission's hearing into Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard. As part of his testimony, Xbox head of gaming Phil Spencer presented the slide just below, which reveals the company doesn't think The Elder Scrolls 6 will arrive until 2026 at the soonest.

Microsoft/Activision Blizzard

(Image credit: Microsoft/Activision Blizzard)

"Following acquisition, Microsoft continued to release content on multiple platforms, including Fallout 76, in addition to making two new IP titles exclusive to the Xbox console, Starfield and Redfall," Microsoft writes in a separate document. "Elder Scrolls VI, which is unlikely to be released for another [Redacted] may be released only on Xbox and PC."

The Elder Scrolls 6 is clearly a long way away. It's so far away, in fact, that Spencer didn't even know if it would be an Xbox exclusive. That sort of flies in the face of the new comments we're seeing here today, which would've been made around the same time, but the whole thing still points to The Elder Scrolls 6 being an Xbox console exclusive.

Elsewhere, we finally heard last month that The Elder Scrolls 6 had moved out of the pre-production phase. It sounds like a few people at Bethesda are now working full-time on the upcoming game, although that still doesn't give us a good idea of just how far along in the entire development process The Elder Scrolls 6 ultimately is.

It's also worth noting that The Elder Scrolls 6 could be Todd Howard's last game - the Starfield game director might call it quits after a pretty illustrious career. 

Hirun Cryer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.

Read more
Elder Scrolls 6
The Elder Scrolls 6: Everything we know so far
A screenshot of the trailer for the upcoming PC game, The Elder Scrolls 6.
The Elder Scrolls 6 sleuths use Starfield math to narrow down the Skyrim sequel's potential release window, and sorry folks, it's still looking like it's ages away
A screenshot of the trailer for the upcoming PC game, The Elder Scrolls 6.
Skyrim was 2,403 days old when The Elder Scrolls 6 trailer dropped - and now that same trailer is also 2,403 days old
A screenshot of the trailer for the upcoming PC game, The Elder Scrolls 6.
More than 4 years after its last Elder Scrolls 6 teaser, Bethesda officially re-acknowledges the RPG - using the exact same picture we saw in 2018
A dragon blasts a man with a shield in Skyrim
"Even if The Elder Scrolls 6 is great," Skyrim veteran thinks Bethesda developers will face harassment and "death threats" anyway
Hollow Knight
6 years and 1 prolonged delay later, Xbox is still calling "incredible" Hollow Knight: Silksong one of its "upcoming games"
Latest in RPG
Assassin's Creed Shadows screenshot of an enemy falling backwards through the air away from Yasuke who's just performed a War Kick
Forget the hidden blade: if you're not yeeting enemies in Assassin's Creed Shadows, you're missing out
The Witcher 4 cinematic screenshot showing a closeup of Ciri, protagonist of the new adventure
"We slept under our desks and lived in chaos": Before the Witcher 3 became an RPG phenomenon, CDPR's CEOs had a tough time making the original game
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 studio CD Projekt Red won't make survival games just because they're popular, but Netflix's Edgerunners anime is fueling dreams bigger than RPGs
Fallout 76 screenshot showing an irradiated mutant man-like creature screeching, its sharp canine teeth showing
After 14 years at Bethesda, Skyrim and Fallout veteran made his final settlement in just 2 days – but only because he'd made some rough ones before that
Asssassin's Creed Shadows kusarigama
My favorite weapon in Assassin's Creed Shadows is also the most misunderstood
Posing with a rifle in the Fallout 76 Ghoul update
Fallout 76's art director "had to fight really hard" so Bethesda would make the MMO's map bigger than Skyrim's
Latest in News
Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom
My Hero Academia and Gundam animator explains the issues behind anime shows getting shorter: "There is a shortage of professional staff in all sections"
Saw X
Billy the Puppet gives Saw fans some hope on the future of the horror franchise by updating his LinkedIn profile to "employed"
Bella Ramsey as Ellie and Pedro Pascal as Joel in The Last of Us
The Last of Us showrunner Craig Mazin praises Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal for "spectacular" take on one of Part 2's most iconic scenes in season 2
"I didn’t have a single ally": Tekken 4's negative reception put series boss Katsuhiro Harada under so much stress that he left Namco for a year
Kaitlyn Dever as Abby in The Last of Us
The Last of Us showrunner praises Abby actor's "physically tremendous" performance ahead of season 2: "We just haven't f**ked up in casting"
Quacks: All-In Edition box art
Fellow witchcore weirdos, prepare your cauldrons for a classic potion-making board game refresh with Quacks: All-In Edition