The Elder Scrolls VI may not release until 2026 or later

It’s been five years since Bethesda first revealed The Elder Scrolls VI, but the studio hasn’t talked much about the game since. However, a newly unearthed document from the Microsoft versus Federal Trade Commission trial over the acquisition of Activision Blizzard has revealed how long we might have to wait until the highly anticipated game is released. And bad news — it’s going to be quite a while.

The document identifies Microsoft’s approach to releasing games following acquisitions since 2018, specifically focusing on titles from Bethesda. Among them is The Elder Scrolls VI.

The document has “TBC” for its release date, but does say it’s “expected 2026 or later.” This would mean we’re at least three years away from the release of The Elder Scrolls VI.

While this may be a disappointment for fans who were eager for a new Elder Scrolls game, it’s not completely unexpected. Even after announcing the game back in 2016, Bethesda Game Studios director Todd Howard noted it was still a “very long way off.”

When first announced, Bethesda was still working on two other major projects, 2018’s Fallout 76 and this year’s Starfield. Although Starfield has now been released, Bethesda is still focused on supporting that game post-launch. Bethesda head of publishing Pete Hines recently confirmed that Elder Scrolls VI has completed the pre-production stage and is now in the development phase, but the priority right now is still Starfield.

Starfield was a major release for Bethesda, especially as the studio’s first new IP in 25 years, so it’s no surprise that the studio was all hands on deck. Even now, Bethesda is working to implement mod support and there are still plans for an expansion.

But the fact that Elder Scrolls VI is now in development is a good sign, even if it’s still about three years away from release.