‘Elder Scrolls VI’ Remains Distant,Bethesda Confirms Gameplay Testing Underway
Bethesda Game Studios’ highly anticipated The Elder Scrolls VI is still years from release,despite daily growth and recent internal gameplay testing,studio head Todd Howard revealed in a new GQ interview. The confirmation dashes hopes for a near-future launch, though it underscores the project’s continued, active development.
The prolonged wait for the next mainline Elder Scrolls title-following the 2011 release of Skyrim-has fueled intense speculation among fans. Howard explained the lengthy development cycle was partially due too a deliberate “creative reset” undertaken with the studio’s recent space RPG, Starfield. He emphasized a desire to avoid iterative sequels, preferring considerable evolution between Elder Scrolls installments.
During a recent three-hour playtest involving participants from the Make-A-Wish Foundation, developers focused on critical evaluation of the game’s current state.”You have to really look at the screen and say, ‘What is this? What does this need? Where are we at?'” Howard stated. “Great games are played, not created. The screen doesn’t lie.”
Howard also alluded to a potential surprise release strategy, expressing a preference for announcing a game shortly before its launch, mirroring the approach taken with the Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion remaster. “I like to just announce things and release them,” he said. “My ideal version…is that some time will pass and then, one day, the game will just appear.”
