Bethesda announced during QuakeCon 2021 that it will once again be re-releasing Skyrim for the game’s 10th anniversary this November. This doesn’t seem to bode well for The Elder Scrolls 6, which could be further delayed as a result of Skyrim Anniversary Edition.

Skyrim Anniversary Edition will present a next-gen upgrade to new and returning players alike, but this rerelease is also more than just another graphical improvement. According to the studio, over 500 elements from Bethesda’s Creation Club will be added to Skyrim in the Anniversary Edition. This includes new quests, items, and even a fishing mechanic. This is far from the first rerelease of Skyrim, and by now the game has been ported to a large handful of consoles, including virtual reality sets and even the Amazon Echo.

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The next game in the series, however, has seen far less progress. The Elder Scrolls 6 was first announced during E3 2018 in the form of a teaser trailer featuring little more than a panning shot of the landscape. Even the game’s location is still widely debated, and according to Bethesda Game Studios Director Todd Howard, game Elder Scrolls 6 is still in its design stage as of summer 2021. It’s unclear, then, when exactly fans should expect The Elder Scrolls 6 to release, but the fact that it’s seemingly been pushed behind yet another Skyrim rerelease isn’t promising.

What Skyrim Anniversary Edition Could Mean For TES6

It’s probable that The Elder Scrolls 6 is still a relatively low priority for Bethesda at the moment. This can likely be attributed not just to the upcoming release of Skyrim Anniversary Edition but also the focus on Starfield, Bethesda’s space RPG that’s set to come out in November 2022. This would indicate that Elder Scrolls 6 will be put on hold until at least after Starfield‘s release date and launch, and it’s possible that the date could be pushed back even further because of the short window Bethesda has to work on the Skyrim rerelease.

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Skyrim Anniversary Edition could also mean something for Elder Scrolls 6 from a story standpoint, too, though. Many fans are hoping that the game will take players somewhere new for the series, or at least to a region that hasn’t been visited in quite some time. Hammerfell and High Rock are both two likely contenders as far as the setting of The Elder Scrolls 6. Bethesda’s continual focus on Skyrim, however, could mean that its legacy will carry over significantly into The Elder Scrolls 6. While it remains unlikely that the next Elder Scrolls game will return to the region of Skyrim, many of its story elements and characters could see a return, something that may be disappointing for long-time Elder Scrolls fans hoping for something fresh.

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About The Author


Ky Shinkle
(528 Articles Published)

Ky Shinkle is a Senior Gaming Features Writer for Screen Rant as well as an overall avid gamer and writer. Her prior experience is primarily that of a narrative designer for video games, although her writing has covered all formats from screenplays and novels to stage scripts. A graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design, when she isn’t writing she works on digital media projects and other types of fiction writing. Ky currently works out of Ohio and enjoys spending her free time either playing RPGs or running with her dog.

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