It was recently announced at E3 2017 that the highly anticipated Elder Scrolls 6 is not even in development yet. And even though many are eagerly awaiting a new Skyrim, the delay has a silver lining for MMO fans. Without Elder Scrolls 6, The Elder Scrolls Online remains longer in the development spotlight.
Anyone hoping for solid information on the next Elder Scrolls game since Skyrim left E3 disappointed. At the fair, Bethesda spokesperson Pete Hines made it very clear that “Elder Scrolls 6 is not even in development”. The game currently only exists as a conceptual plan, and a release is far off.
For fans of the series, this is certainly a significant blow, but there are also some positive aspects to consider.
ESO benefits from the delay of Elder Scrolls 6
I assume Elder Scrolls 6 will come no earlier than 2020.
If the sixth Elder Scrolls installment is still years away, The Elder Scrolls Online has no self-made competition. The timely release of a new ES game would siphon off many players from ESO, who would then dedicate weeks and months to the new game.
This would be anything but positive for ESO and would hinder the development of the game, which has just gained a good amount of players thanks to the successful Morrowind chapter. An MMO thrives on the many players who actively play it, and an empty world is not in the interest of Zenimax or Bethesda.
ESO as a complement to Elder Scrolls 6
If the next major part of the solo player saga is delayed for a few years, ESO has plenty of time to continue growing and thriving. Especially the new chapters that began with Morrowind and will introduce a new region each year should gradually make the game increasingly complex and diverse. Ultimately, a real “Online-Tamriel” should be created, where you can truly explore every area.
If Zenimax continues at the pace it has shown so far, ESO is likely to have three more chapters and 9 DLCs by 2020. That’s a lot of content.
Depending on where the journey goes with ES 6 (an insider recently mentioned to me that, according to internal rumors, it would lead to the Khajiit in Elsweyr), connections between the two games could be established quite effectively. Players could then alternate between the two games.
However, such a scenario would require that ESO has grown sufficiently before the release of TES 6 to smoothly incorporate the new regions from the upcoming solo game.
ESO grows and Elder Scrolls 6 will be epic – A win-win situation
Jürgen says: As much as I would love a new Elder Scrolls as a solo game, I am also happy that this way ESO can continue to grow peacefully and without self-inflicted competitive pressure. I was extremely pleased with the new chapter Morrowind, and according to Matt Firor, numerous new ideas for DLCs and chapters are ready at Zenimax.
All of this can only work well if no new solo ES game disrupts the pace soon. And after the lackluster Fallout 4, I am also glad if they take their time with Elder Scrolls 6 and don’t release “Skyrim in Green”. Especially since, following the success of The Witcher 3, a new Elder Scrolls must inevitably measure up to this masterpiece just like the grand Skyrim. And that simply takes time.
Thus, it is actually a win-win situation. Elder Scrolls 6 will become a worthy successor to Skyrim due to the long development time, and ESO can become a better Online-Tamriel in the meantime. It all fits!
Also interesting: Our thematic page about E3 with all the latest news from the fair
