Fans of Bethesda have been a bit preoccupied with the recent release of “Fallout 4” lately, but even that major title didn’t manage to distract them from another point of speculation, the next installment in “The Elder Scrolls”, the other iconic franchise by the studio. Nothing is really known about the game right now, other than the fact that it is indeed in development, as indicated by an interview with a company employee. As we know though, this is a very vague statement and it could easily just mean that plans for the game are on the table at the moment, nothing more.
Still, it’s interesting to note that Pete Hines actually referred to “The Elder Scrolls 6” as “Skyrim 2”, lending credibility to rumors that the game could be a direct sequel to its predecessor. Traditionally, the series is split into games that more or less stand on their own – with their own unique setting and plot, they don’t really require any knowledge of the previous installments. If “Skyrim 2” is the current idea for the next game though, this could change things and it could imply that we’re looking at a title that will immediately continue the events from the previous game.
This of course could have various implications – from the plot, to characters and the overall setting of the game, we could see something quite similar to “Skyrim” if that’s the case. Of course, it’s also possible that the writers could continue the story of the previous game but put it in a new setting, which would make things even more interesting for fans of the franchise who are excited to see the last story continued.
This could also debunk some popular rumors about the game’s setting, such as the “Argonia” theme that has been mentioned so often lately. It’s still possible that players may get to explore this area of the game’s world, but it’s starting to seem less and less likely.
In any case, it will be a long wait before we do see “The Elder Scrolls 6”. According to Hines, the studio was pretty much entirely focused on “Fallout 4” in the months leading up to its release, so this leaves little room for any possible developments on the other franchise. It’s possible that the developers could have been actively planning and brainstorming, but other than that they have likely invested very little work into the game so far, and there is probably not much progress.
That should be seen as a good thing for most fans though, as it means that the game is pretty much an open sandbox for the developers right now, and they have the opportunity to make it exactly like they want it to be. Anything that they have learned in the last few years can be implemented into the new game from a fresh start, so it could turn out to be quite the interesting title.
There have already been discussions within the community regarding the possible changes coming with the new game, and what it might borrow from “Fallout 4”. The newest release by Bethesda was very successful and gamers and critics alike praised it for the many original new gameplay features, so it’s pretty much guaranteed that we’re going to see some of those making their way into the next “Elder Scrolls” game, whenever it does come out. Of course, there are some sensible limitations to that.