Todd Howard Says The Elder Scrolls VI Is Still “A Long Way Off” But Admits He Wishes It Could “Just Appear”

In a recent GQ interview primarily focused on Fallout 4’s 10th Anniversary Edition launch, Bethesda Game Studios director Todd Howard addressed what every fan has been wondering about — the status of The Elder Scrolls VI. Unfortunately, his comments confirm what many suspected: the next chapter in Bethesda’s legendary role-playing franchise is still far from release.

Howard acknowledged upfront that The Elder Scrolls VI remains “a long way off” and reminded fans to remain patient, even as he admitted that it has been far too long since Skyrim’s release in November 2011. He noted that the development team needed a “creative reset,” something they achieved through the creation of Starfield and its entirely different setting and tone.

Despite the long wait, Howard revealed that Bethesda is actively testing the game internally, sharing that a major Elder Scrolls VI playtest took place just yesterday. “We did a big play test yesterday for The Elder Scrolls VI, and you have to really look at the screen and say, ‘What is this? What does this need? Where are we at?’ Great games are played, not made. The screen doesn’t lie,” Howard said.

He also mentioned a touching moment where Bethesda invited fans connected to the Make-A-Wish Foundation to view parts of the game, in memory of a late friend they wanted honored in the upcoming title. Similar gestures were made recently when the team shared previews with members of the Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages, who left with overwhelmingly positive impressions.

Later in the conversation, Howard discussed how he envisions the eventual release of The Elder Scrolls VI. When asked about his ideal launch scenario, he said he’d love for the game to “just appear” after a period of silence, hinting that the surprise Oblivion Remastered shadow-drop earlier this year might have been a “test run” for such a strategy. “You might say that was a test run. It worked out well,” he noted.

However, given Microsoft’s ownership of Bethesda, it seems unlikely the company would allow such a low-key release for a project of this magnitude. A more realistic approach could follow the Fallout 4 model, where the game was announced at E3 2015 and launched only five months later.

Based on the studio’s current timelines, the most plausible window for The Elder Scrolls VI now appears to be late 2027 or possibly early 2028, echoing Oblivion’s March 2006 release timing. For now, Bethesda fans will have to hold onto their patience a little longer as Howard and his team continue refining the long-awaited sequel.

How long are you willing to wait for The Elder Scrolls VI if it means Bethesda delivers another genre-defining RPG? Share your thoughts below.