Bethesda knows where ‘The Elder Scrolls 6’ will take place, but it’s a secret

By Gabe Gurwin Published April 25, 2023

At its E3 2018 Showcase, Bethesda finally announced The Elder Scrolls 6, but the announcement didn’t come with any gameplay details, teaser videos, or even a full title. We still don’t know where we’ll be headed for the sequel, but Bethesda has locked down the location.

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Speaking to Eurogamer at the Spanish Gamelab conference, Bethesda Game Studios director Todd Howard revealed that his team had decided on the region we’ll be exploring in The Elder Scrolls VI, and that it was the first thing the studio decided on when planning the game.

Howard added that the teaser we saw — which featured rolling green hills — was not necessarily representative of the region. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim‘s titular setting was inspired by Scandinavia, which dark, snowy regions and large mountains, but we’d be open to something a little calmer or more varied. Some have speculated the game will head to Hammerfell, but this is at least partially because of the location we saw in the teaser. Hammerfell is located to the southwest of Skyrim and is roughly the same size on the full Tamriel map, though the (presumably) increased power of next-generation consoles makes it likely that the game will be far larger than The Elder Scrolls V was.

We’re going to have to wait several years before we found out, however, as The Elder Scrolls 6 isn’t Bethesda Game Studios’ current project. The developer is working on Fallout 76 as well as Starfield, a new franchise that was announced with a very short teaser of a satellite at the E3 Showcase.

If you can’t wait to get your Elder Scrolls fix, you do have another option. The Elder Scrolls Blades is a free-to-play game coming to everything from mobile platforms to VR, and it’s designed to be a full-fledged first-person role-playing game that’s playable both alone and with other players. The different versions will be cross-platform compatible, so iOS and console players will be able to face off against each other, and it’s even playable in portrait mode on phones. You can sign up for early access on both iOS and Android right now.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…

Gaming

The Elder Scrolls Online’s 2023 updates bring players back to Morrowind

A mage looking over morrowind in Elder scrolls online.

Following Xbox and Bethesda's Developer_Direct and a dedicated livestream for The Elder Scrolls Online, we learned that the MMO's 2023 updates are all set in Morrowind. Falling under 2023's Shadow Over Morrowind banner, the first two pieces of DLC in March and June will see the addition of new PvE dungeons and the first new playable class since 2019.
While Morrowind is most famous for being the titular location of the third Elder Scrolls game and 2017's The Elder Scrolls Online expansion, ZeniMax Online Studios teased that some of the areas featured in this expansion haven't been seen since the first game in the series. The player's first taste of this new Shadow Over Morrowind content will come with the Scribes of Fate DLC in March. Scribes of Fate adds two four-player PvE dungeons to the MMO. One sees players fight the Scribes of More in Scrivener's Hall, while the other will have them take on Bal Sunnar.
Scribes of Fate launches on March 13 for PC and Mac players and on March 28 for those on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

The more significant update will be The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom chapter, releasing on June 5 for PC and Mac and June 20 for consoles. The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom will add 30 hours of new story content set in eastern Morrowind, two new companions, and a new Arcanist class. Arcanists utilized a variety of offensive and support magic, most of which is based on the powers of a Daedric Prince in Oblivion. For fans of Morrowind and this MMO, it's clear there will be quite a lot to sink your teeth into this year.
The Elder Scrolls Online is available now across PC, Mac, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

Gaming

Xbox and Bethesda’s Developer_Direct: how to watch and what to expect

The four hero characters in Redfall dragging a vampire, who's reaching towards the camera with clawed hands.

Microsoft has confirmed rumors that it will be holding a game showcase later this month. Called a Developer_Direct, this livestream will take place later today and feature updates on Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda games launching over the next few months, like Redfall. Xbox doesn't typically do that many games showcases outside of events like E3, so this Developer_Direct seems like Microsoft's own take on the Nintendo Direct or State of Play formula.
That said, it's being a bit more transparent that it will be a bit slower-paced than Nintendo or PlayStation's shows typically are. For those planning to watch the show live today, this is how to watch Xbox's Developer_Direct Showcase as well as what you can expect from games like Redfall, Forza Motorsport, Minecraft Legends, and The Elder Scrolls Online at the event.
When is Xbox and Bethesda's Developer_Direct?
Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda's first-ever Developer_Direct will air live and for free later today, January 25, at 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT.

How to watch Xbox and Bethesda's Developer_Direct
The Developer_Direct showcase will be officially livestreamed by Bethesda and Microsoft in the following four places:

Gaming

Starfield, The Elder Scrolls Online devs are voting to unionize

The Starfield title screen.

Over 300 quality assurance testers at Microsoft-owned ZeniMax Media have begun to vote on whether or not they should form a union, according to a report by The New York Times.

ZeniMax Media is the parent company of developers like Bethesda Game Studios and Arkane Studios, who are working on some of Xbox's biggest upcoming first-party exclusives like Starfield and Redfall. Specifically, Axios' Stephen Totilo confirmed that the following studios are part of this union vote: