Skip to main content

Long read: The beauty and drama of video games and their clouds

"It's a little bit hard to work out without knowing the altitude of that dragon..."

If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

The Elder Scrolls 6 in design phase, being built on new Starfield technology

"The projects kind of intertwine."

Bethesda boss Todd Howard has given a brief update on The Elder Scrolls 6, which is still many years away.

The hugely-anticipated Skyrim sequel will benefit from following the upcoming Starfield, Howard said, whose new engine is already being used for TES6 prep.

"The [new Starfield] technology, Creation Engine 2, is sort of built for both," Howard told The Telegraph. "It's like a new tech base. The vast majority of our development development work is on Starfield right now but everybody works on everything so the projects kind of intertwine."

Watch on YouTube

But even with some staff working on The Elder Scrolls' series future, Howard was careful to make it clear that its next fantasy RPG chapter was still a long way from launch.

"It's good to think of The Elder Scrolls 6 as still being in a design [phase]," Howard concluded, "but we're checking the tech: 'Is this going to handle the things we want to do in that game?' Every game will have some new suites of technology so Elder Scrolls 6 will have some additions on to Creation Engine 2 that that game is going to require."

At least Starfield now has a release date: 11th November 2022, as announced during the Xbox and Bethesda E3 livestream. The new sci-fi franchise will launch then for PC and Xbox Series X/S, and be available via Xbox Game Pass.

Watch on YouTube

Blink and you'd miss it, but Bethesda fans said they spotted a TES6 map tease in that above trailer - which would make sense if both projects' development is overlapping. Here's where fans think The Elder Scrolls may be headed.