Todd Howard Jokes He Has “Never Heard” of The Elder Scrolls VI, Hinting the Real Reveal Is Still Far Away
After nearly 8 years of silence since The Elder Scrolls VI was first announced in June 2018, Bethesda still is not ready to properly open the curtain on its next mainline fantasy RPG. In a new IGN interview, Todd Howard responded with humor when asked about the game’s current state, joking that he had “never heard of it” and earlier telling the interviewer to “pretend we didn’t announce it. Doesn’t exist.” The tone was playful, but the message behind it was hard to miss: Bethesda is still a long way from giving fans the kind of full reveal they have been waiting for.
Even so, Howard did offer a meaningful update once the conversation shifted toward technology and development process. He explained that one of the biggest carryovers from Starfield into The Elder Scrolls VI is the studio’s work on Creation Engine 3, saying the team has done a much better job integrating technical progress into the day to day production cycle. According to Howard, Bethesda is in a stronger position now where builds are more consistently playable during development, which helps prevent content teams from being stalled while engine level work is still underway. That is a notable point, because one of the biggest internal challenges during Starfield’s development was managing the disruption caused by major engine changes.
That may end up being one of the most important quiet updates Bethesda has given so far. A more stable production pipeline does not make for a flashy trailer, but it could have a major effect on the quality and consistency of the final game. Howard’s comments suggest that Bethesda is trying to avoid repeating the same engine transition pain it experienced before, which could help The Elder Scrolls VI arrive with stronger systemic depth and fewer structural compromises. In other words, while fans still do not have a setting reveal, a gameplay demo, or even a proper teaser follow up, the studio does appear to be laying a more reliable technical foundation behind the scenes.
That said, the long wait is creating its own problem. Expectations for The Elder Scrolls VI are now so high that several former Bethesda voices have suggested the game is in a difficult position before it even launches. Former Bethesda lead artist Nate Purkeypile recently described both The Elder Scrolls VI and Fallout 5 as being in a “no win situation,” largely because Skyrim remains one of the most beloved and culturally dominant RPGs ever made. That does not mean the sequel is doomed, but it does underline the reality Howard and his team are facing: the next Elder Scrolls game is not just expected to be good, it is expected to justify more than a decade of anticipation.
For now, Howard’s comments read less like a tease and more like a warning to keep expectations in check. Bethesda is still talking about technical progress and internal workflow improvements rather than world details, systems, or a reveal window. That usually means a major public showing is not right around the corner. Fans may finally have a little more clarity on how the game is progressing internally, but the bigger takeaway is still the same one Bethesda has been signaling for years: The Elder Scrolls VI is coming, just not soon enough for anyone hoping that the real reveal is imminent.
Do you think Bethesda made the right call by announcing The Elder Scrolls VI so early, or has the long silence only made the pressure worse?
