Xbox offers a brief update on The Elder Scrolls 6 for fans.
In a day filled with mixed signals for Xbox, newly appointed CEO Asha Sharma hinted at upcoming staff reductions, which dampened the excitement generated during the recent Xbox Games Showcase. To shift the focus, chief content officer Matt Booty brought up The Elder Scrolls 6. However, after sifting through the usual corporate jargon, the takeaway is clear: Bethesda Game Studios’ highly anticipated title isn’t arriving anytime soon.
In a conversation with an outlet, Booty tackled several hot-button issues, including Xbox’s return to exclusive titles with Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution, the console’s 25th anniversary coming up this November, and his collaboration with Sharma. The most captivating moment came when the inevitable question about The Elder Scrolls 6 arose, particularly regarding its absence from the Games Showcase. Booty’s response was as follows:
“I would say one of the more challenging balancing acts of someone in a job like mine is balancing that you want to go show the world all the cool stuff you’re working on, and you want to get them excited early, but we also know that we want to wait till the right moment. And when you decide to show it, you want it to be the best you’ve got. And also that when you show the game, you’re also giving them a promise of, hey, it’s coming soon. So I can tell you, having visited Bethesda and sat with Todd and seen ‘Elder Scrolls’ playing, it looks amazing, and it’s coming along well. And we’ll make sure to announce it and really reveal it at the right time.”
Booty confirmed what many already suspected: the game is playable and Bethesda is actively developing it. Last March, Bethesda’s director Todd Howard mentioned that “the builds of the game are really consistently working,” and that “the bulk of the studio is on it.” However, Booty also indicated that Xbox will only showcase the game when they can assure fans of a near release, meaning its absence from the Games Showcase suggests it’s not quite there yet. While the game may be playable, it’s not at a stage where the company feels ready to make any promises.
Meanwhile, fans are understandably worried about the message from Sharma and Booty to Xbox employees worldwide, ominously titled “Next 100 Days: Xbox Reset.” This communication paints a grim picture of a division struggling with poor investments, rising component costs, and an overstretched studio system. While not explicitly stated, the implication is that significant cuts are on the way.
While it’s unlikely that any future cuts will impact the team behind The Elder Scrolls 6, it also seems improbable that an announcement regarding the game’s release will come anytime soon. In the meantime, we can always revisit its first and only trailer for the millionth time.
