Todd Howard wants Elder Scrolls 6 to be the "ultimate fantasy-world simulator" but won't say how Bethesda's going to do it

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A lot can change between now and 2026, the earliest year Elder Scrolls 6 might release

Elder Scrolls 6
(Image credit: Bethesda Game Studios/Todd Howard)

Todd Howard says Bethesda wants Elder Scrolls 6 to be "the ultimate fantasy-world simulator," although he won't say exactly how the developers will accomplish that just yet.

In an interview with GQ, Howard is asked what he wants to achieve with Elder Scrolls 6, and it's worth keeping in mind that this is one of only a handful of times the famed Skyrim director has ever spoken about the game. He's had his hands full with Starfield for the past several years, and he's said in the past not to expect Elder Scrolls 6 until 2026 at the very earliest.

"It's like… I don't want to answer, but I want to be polite. I will say that we want it to fill that role of the ultimate fantasy-world simulator," Howard said. "And there are different ways to accomplish that given the time that has passed."

It's a fair, even generous answer. Starfield is Bethesda's Whole Thing right now, launching into early access in just over a week. It's undoubtedly one of the biggest upcoming Xbox Series X games of the year and Howard's first new release as director since 2015's Fallout 4. I'm frankly surprised he had the headspace to talk about Elder Scrolls 6, which Howard has said might be his last game, at all.

Although we know very little about the sequel, we do know it's likely still in pre-production and is definitely being built in Starfield's engine, although Howard has said it'll likely need to be tweaked as development on Elder Scrolls 6 gets more advanced.

Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick
Staff Writer

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.