Elder Scrolls 6 setting theory backed by ex-Bethesda dev as fans try to decipher Xbox CEO's teaser
Michael Kirkbride thinks it might be Sentinel
The Elder Scrolls 6 is once again back in the limelight following Xbox CEO Asha Sharma's "live playthrough" of the upcoming Bethesda Game Studios RPG, as fans (and developers, it seems) try to decipher what the game's setting might be.
It's a tale as old as time – The Elder Scrolls 6 theories running rampant online. This time, though, they may actually have a foundation to them, as Sharma's used exactly eight asterisks to note the game's title… and Bethesda did the same in response.
So, what could those eight asterisks stand for? Not Hammerfell, sadly, but that doesn't mean the massive region is off the table entirely. Sentinel just so happens to fit the eight-letter bill here.
EIGHT LETTERS CONFIRMEDfrom r/TESVI
Fans have noted as much on a post regarding the "teaser" from Xbox (if you can call it that), suggesting "Sentinel" as a potential title – a potential title that former Bethesda developer Michael Kirkbride himself evidently feels is plausible.
In response to the suggestion, he leaves a comment himself: "Yep." Understandably, the Elder Scrolls veteran's agreement here has us thinking that the Hammerfell kingdom might truly be it.
That's not the only possible setting or title, though, of course… there's still High Rock (if you remove the space between High and Rock, that is), and Starfall, as in Starfall Bay, as an Elder Scrolls stan points out on X.
The Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages – the biggest (and best, if I do say so myself) wiki on Bethesda's series), has rounded up plenty of potential fill-ins for the eight asterisks in a thread, too, and there are many.
Orsinium immediately catches my eye, standing as the legendary capital and ancestral homeland of the Orsimer, as does Aldmeris… perhaps because I'm unapologetically a High Elf in every possible Elder Scrolls entry myself, and, you know, because I'd like to see Bethesda shake things up a bit with The Elder Scrolls 6.
What better way to do that than to explore some of the series' mythology in-depth?
We've seen a lot of guesses of what the the stars representing the subtitle of The Elder Scrolls VI stand for, and we have a lot of guesses ourselves. Here are some possibilities, assuming the eight stars were a hint it'll be eight letters:SentinelOrsiniumBalfieraDominion… https://t.co/f3nUJ2PrGuAugust 12, 2026
Heck, I'd love to see the studio deviate from the timelines it's previously covered by a lot, although I doubt I will (my dream to see the Dwemer and Falmer take center stage will never come to life, I'm afraid).
I'll be happy with whatever Bethesda cooks up at this point, however. I mean, after well over a decade now, The Elder Scrolls 6 might just stand as one of the most hotly anticipated new games – so, yeah.
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After spending years with her head in various fantastical realms' clouds, Anna studied English Literature and then Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh, going on to specialize in narrative design and video game journalism as a writer. She has written for various publications since her postgraduate studies, including Dexerto, Fanbyte, GameSpot, IGN, PCGamesN, and more. When she's not frantically trying to form words into coherent sentences, she's probably daydreaming about becoming a fairy druid and befriending every animal or she's spending a thousand (more) hours traversing the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3. If you spot her away from her PC, you'll always find Anna with a fantasy book, a handheld video game console of some sort, and a Tamagotchi or two on hand.
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