More than a decade afterSkyrim’s release, fans are still anxiously waiting forThe Elder Scrolls 6. There’s been plenty of speculation about the upcoming game’s lore, story, and mechanics, withSkyrim,Fallout 4, andStarfieldprobably being the best indicators of what fans should expect. However, olderElder Scrollsgames contain plenty of good ideas thatThe Elder Scrolls 6could benefit from.
One such idea is the obscure Goblin Tribe and Goblin War mechanics fromThe Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion. This system is easy for players to miss, may not have worked as intended, and significant parts have been broken by patches. As a result, the Goblin Wars have almost become an urban legend amongOblivionfans. Yet the mechanics definitely existed, and represented a unique idea that’s worth salvaging forthe long-awaitedElder Scrolls 6.
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The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion’s Goblin Wars
Goblins are among the most basicenemies that players encounter inThe Elder Scrolls: Oblivion. While easily written off, these green-skinned scavengers have a surprising amount of hidden complexity. There are eight named Goblin Tribes, though not all Goblins are members of a tribe. Players can quickly identify a Goblin’s Tribe by their name, such as “Rock Biter Goblin Skirmisher” or “Bloody Hand Goblin War Chief.”
All Tribes except for the Bitterfish Goblins inMiscarcand useThe Elder Scrolls: Oblivion’s unique Goblin Tribe mechanics. The other seven Goblin Tribes are the Bloody Hand Tribe in Cracked Wood Cave, the Dust Eater Tribe inhabiting Barren Mine, the Rock Biter Tribe in Timberscar Hollow, the Sharp Tooth Tribe residing in Derelict Mine, the Skull Breaker Tribe in Wenderbek Cave, and the Three Feather Tribe based out of Plundered Mine. Each of these Tribes is led by a respawning Goblin War Chief and non-respawning Goblin Shaman. The White Skin Tribe is an exception in that they have a presumably mad Breton Shaman named Goblin Jim, but a scripting error prevents him from working with most of the Goblin Tribe mechanics.
Oblivion’s Goblin Tribes have severalmechanics that Bethesda could recycle inThe Elder Scrolls 6. For example, they will stop being hostile after players kill their Shamans. Larger Goblin War mechanics are showcased in the easy-to-miss Goblin Trouble side quest. As the quest explains, the Rock Biter Goblins and Bloody Hand Goblins are at war after the Rock Biter’s stole the Bloody Hand’s Totem Staff. Players can resolve the conflict and save the local farmers by killing the Bloody Hand Goblin Shamin or returning the staff.
All Goblin Wars begin when one Tribe steals another’s staff, at which point the offended Tribe’s War Chief assaults the other stronghold. Players can instigate their own Goblin Wars by stealing a staff and dropping it in another Tribe’s hideout.
The Problems with Oblivion’s Goblin Wars
At one point, Goblin Tribes were supposed to instigate their own wars by stealing each other’s staffs, but it’s unclear if it ever actually worked as intended. YouTuber Rimmy Downunder discussed this in a recent video and concluded that it may have worked on some version of the game, but it doesn’t appear to work onOblivion’s original 1.0 version or its final 19-06-2025 patch from 2007. It’s unclear if dynamic Goblin Wars weredeliberately cut fromThe Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, or broken by an update and forgotten about.
Even if it worked correctly, the system depends on NPC actors moving about where the players can’t see them, so few players would likely notice unless they deliberately sought them out. Meanwhile,Oblivionplayers have to go out of their way to start a Goblin War, and there’s little benefit for doing so. Both sides will still be hostile to the player, so anyone who wants to sit back and watch the show has to be a master of Stealth or Illusion Magic. It’s an interesting system, but adds little to the game overall.
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Resurrecting Goblin Wars in The Elder Scrolls 6
The Elder Scrolls 6probably wouldn’t benefit from a carbon copy ofOblivion’s Goblin Tribes. However, there is potential in the concept of multiple enemy factions that autonomously fight. According to the franchise’s lore, goblins were once common acrossThe Elder Scrolls 6’s rumored setting of Hammerfell, and many still reside in the Dragontail Mountains. Alternatively, bandit gangs, Alik’r Warriors, Orc Warbands, or other groups could fill a similar role, fleshing outThe Elder Scrolls 6’s minor factions.
Instead of giving each faction a single dungeon as their base,The Elder Scrolls 6could assign them larger areas of control. Players passing through that region might find banners, totems, and other markers indicating which faction laid claim to a region. While these groups won’t usually interact, conflict could erupt with rival groups launching raids. It would need to be scaled up and protracted enough that players notice, but if done correctly this could help makeThe Elder Scrolls 6’ worldfeel more alive.
As with howOblivion’s Goblin Wars were initially supposed to work,The Elder Scrolls 6’s version should be dynamic, while letting players instigate something themselves. How that would work depends on the implementation, as if Bethesda decides toborrow this mechanic forThe Elder Scrolls 6, it needs to be a prominent and reliable system with a noticeable impact on the game world.
The Elder Scrolls 6is currently in development.
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