The Elder Scrollsfranchise is rapidly expanding, but not nearly fast enough for some fans. While the release ofThe Elder Scrolls: Skyrim: Anniversary Editionand the upcomingElder Scrolls Online: Necromexpansion have gamers rediscovering enduring pillars of the series, there has been growing impatience for the release ofThe Elder Scrolls 6.First teased during the 2018 E3 Conference, the early announcement ofThe Elder Scrolls 6- alongside the enigmatic trailer - was met with immediate fanfare. Unfortunately, fans have been given almost no new information about the upcoming game, making it clear that the 2000-day mark sinceThe Elder Scrolls 6announcement could pass without a release date.
One of the main reasons for the notable delay could be that Bethesda is currently working on two games using new IP. Both the Bethesda-published first-person shooterRedfalland Bethesda-developed outer space RPGStarfieldare presently in the works, with Bethesda game director Todd Howard emphasizing that they will release beforeThe Elder Scrolls 6.Unfortunately, all three games have required a multi-year wait, with no guarantees that the upcoming Bethesda titles will be released in 2023 or further delayed. As gamers anxiously wait for more information on the nextElder Scrollsgame, excitement quickly turns into impatience.
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Open-World RPGs Released In Recent Years Pose A Threat to TES6
In the nearly five-year wait since the announcement ofThe Elder Scrolls 6,numerous open-world RPGs have pushed the genre forward. With the help of next-generation gaming technology, titles likeGhost of Tsushima, Cyberpunk 2077,andElden Ringhave raised the bar for future open-world RPGs. As more expansive and ambitious role-playing games are announced and released – includingBaldur’s Gate 3andDragon Age: Dreadwolf– the competition againstThe Elder Scrolls 6becomes fiercer. With so many upcoming RPGs in development, the nextElder Scrollsgame may face a brutal climb compared toSkyrim’srelease.
Remarkably,The Elder Scrolls: Skyrimmight even compete withThe Elder Scrolls 6,as the game has found new players and thousands of fan-made mods since its 2011 release. Not only isSkyrimone of the most popular video games of all time, but it has received near-universal praise, with fans amassing thousands of in-game hours. Numerous community-made mods revolutionizeSkyrimgameplay, with some adding hours of new gameplay to the base game. As more players discover and rediscoverSkyrim,experiment with mods, and curate their play experience,The Elder Scrolls 6becomes less special and enticing.
Bethesda’s Secrecy Around The Elder Scrolls 6
As the announcement date forThe Elder Scrolls 6has long since passed, some fans are frustrated with the lack of updates or information about the game. As the wait has stretched on, theElder Scrollscommunity has taken to dissecting the release trailer for possible clues. For instance, the verdant and mountainous landscape in the short video has players theorizing thatTES6might be in Hammerfellor Black Marsh. Other gamers are looking to past franchise titles likeThe Elder Scrolls: MorrowindandThe Elder Scrolls: Oblivionfor clues on what the upcoming game might be focused on.
It could be argued that the lack of context aroundThe Elder Scrolls 6has driven more players to exploreThe Elder Scrolls Online. The MMORPG and its various expansions allow gamers to explore areas of Tamriel that might be present in the upcoming RPG. In contrast, the secrecy around the development ofThe Elder Scrolls 6has frustrated fans who have been anxiously waiting for years since the early release announcement. A futureElder Scrollsgame could benefit from early access player feedback, given the high expectations forThe Elder Scrolls 6’s release.
The Elder Scrolls 6is currently in development.
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