In brief: Bethesda has provided virtually no substantial information about The Elder Scrolls VI since officially announcing it more than eight years ago. If recent reports are to be believed, that might be about to change. While the game's release window remains unclear, the upcoming anniversary of its immensely popular predecessor could give parent company Microsoft an opportunity to renew enthusiasm for its gaming business.
Sources familiar with Bethesda's inner workings have informed The Verge that The Elder Scrolls VI will be subtitled "Sentinel," and that Microsoft will reveal the title next month. The game may still be years away, and Microsoft is reportedly considering an Xbox-exclusive launch.
The upcoming open-world RPG will center on Hammerfell, a region of the Elder Scrolls universe featured in The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard and The Elder Scrolls Online but not in a mainline title since The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall, released in 1996. Sentinel is a major city in Hammerfell and the capital of the kingdom of Sentinel. The area is home to the Redgarruds, one of several races that appear throughout the series.
Any announcement from Microsoft would likely happen on November 11, the 15th anniversary of the previous entry, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Skyrim is one of the best-selling RPGs of all time and maintains one of the industry's biggest modding communities.
It remains unclear whether Microsoft might try to use the follow-up to lift sagging Xbox sales or release it on PlayStation as well, as Bethesda did with prior titles before Microsoft acquired the studio. A reveal next month, likely without gameplay footage, might also be seen as an attempt to show proof of life amid ongoing layoffs affecting thousands of Microsoft employees.
New Xbox CEO Asha Sharma recently teased The Elder Scrolls VI by revealing that its subtitle has eight letters. Sentinel immediately became one of the most widely guessed titles, and fans have long speculated that the next game would feature Hammerfell.
Bethesda technically announced The Elder Scrolls VI at E3 2018 but showed only the title and a brief landscape shot. Since then, studio head Todd Howard has only provided scant details.
Earlier this year, he said the game will resemble its predecessor more than other recent games from the studio like Fallout 76 and Starfield. Starfield, which launched to a mixed reception, provided a learning experience, and Bethesda has since optimized its production pipeline on Creation Engine 3, which will power Elder Scrolls VI.