Internal Microsoft emails have confirmed that The Elder Scrolls VI will be an Xbox exclusive. However, the game will also be released earlier than expected, or at least it’s supposed to.
Leaked internal emails from Microsoft, via The Verge, reveal that the next Bethesda game following the recent Starfield is already scheduled for a 2026 release date. Furthermore, the game will not be releasing on PlayStation 5.
Before now, Xbox has been coy to confirm whether or not the next Elder Scrolls game is an Xbox exclusive or not. Due to its issues getting its Activision Blizzard acquisition off the ground, Xbox has left the possibility of a PS5 Elder Scrolls release in the air, however unlikely it would be.
Despite this, internal documents used in Microsoft’s recent FCT case show plans that The Elder Scrolls VI is designed purely for Xbox consoles and PC. Listed alongside other Xbox-owned titles, such as Deathloop, Fallout 76, Starfield and the abysmal Redfall, the next Elder Scrolls game is included.
“In order to be on Xbox, I want us to be able to bring the full complete package of what we have,” reads a Microsoft statement on why the game is exclusive. “And that would be true when I think of Elder Scrolls 6.”
Few details have been released regarding the next game in the Elder Scrolls series. While it was revealed alongside Starfield at E3 2018, the game is still years away. In fact, Bethesda Game Studios head Todd Howard has recently claimed that he revealed the title too early as it is still many years away.
Xbox’s news that The Elder Scrolls VI is planned for a 2026 release does break recent expectations for the title. With the game currently in early development, many expected the fantasy RPG to bookend the generation in 2028. However, it looks like we may end up getting the title earlier than expected.
The Elder Scrolls VI has been worked on side-by-side with Starfield for a number of years. With Starfield’s two-year delay to clean up visuals and bugs, there has been space for the studio to gain some headroom on the next Elder Scrolls. Of course, with the game not featuring spaceships and interstellar travel, a return to a more familiar Bethesda structure may also be helpful for the developer.