The Elder Scrolls VI fanbase, much like their Grand Theft Auto VI counterparts, is famished for news. So, it’s hardly surprising the community has plunged headfirst into release date speculation, fueled primarily by a recent official character creation competition.
This week, Bethesda announced its latest Make-A-Wish project: a chance to bid on the opportunity to collaborate with Bethesda Game Studios to design an NPC for The Elder Scrolls VI.
“For years, we’ve partnered with Make-A-Wish, granting wishes, supporting local events, and providing experiences for children battling life-threatening illnesses,” Bethesda stated. “This year’s Silent Auction offers a winner the chance to design an NPC for The Elder Scrolls VI. All proceeds directly benefit Make-A-Wish.”
While a fantastic cause and initiative, this announcement has ignited a firestorm of speculation among Elder Scrolls VI fans. The community is drawing parallels between this Make-A-Wish project and a similar one Bethesda ran for Starfield, attempting to extrapolate The Elder Scrolls VI’s development stage and, consequently, its potential release date.
Reddit user ‘FartingSlowly’ noted that Bethesda’s Starfield character creation contest was announced two and a half years before Starfield’s September 2023 launch. Therefore, they deduce The Elder Scrolls VI will release in September 2027—specifically, September 27, 2027.
“This isn’t a reliable indicator,” FartingSlowly conceded. “Don’t take this seriously. But it’s *something*. It’s speculation based on actual Bethesda data, not pure conjecture.”
Unsurprisingly, many within the community are skeptical. Some point out that Starfield’s Make-A-Wish competition was announced when the game’s release was slated for November 11, 2022. Does this suggest a November 2026 release for The Elder Scrolls VI?
AnswerSee ResultsIt’s been a considerable time since Bethesda announced The Elder Scrolls VI. In January, the game’s June 10, 2018 announcement reached the same age as Skyrim was when it was announced.
Bethesda confirmed The Elder Scrolls VI entered “early development” in August 2023, with “early builds” available by March 2024. The sixth anniversary of the announcement passed in June last year, prompting Bethesda development chief Todd Howard to remark, "oh wow, that has been a while."
Initial speculation placed The Elder Scrolls VI’s release no earlier than 2028, potentially on next-generation consoles and PC. If so, it would launch an incredible 17 years after Skyrim. Until then, you can find out more in our comprehensive guide: Everything we know about The Elder Scrolls 6.
