What is Bound to be a Major Release is Skipping a Major ConsoleÂ
According to a recently unsealed document from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) versus Microsoft trial over the Activision Blizzard buyout, The Elder Scrolls 6 will not be launching on PlayStation 5 and will instead be an Xbox and PC exclusive. The game is expected to be released in 2026 or later, but Microsoft has yet to make a formal announcement about the launch platforms or release window for the game. The game’s exclusivity status has been a topic of discussion since Microsoft’s $7.5 billion buyout of Bethesda in 2021.
Xbox boss Phil Spencer had previously avoided the issue, but a quote from him in a 2021 interview with GQ was included in the document, stating that he wants to bring the full complete package of what they have to Xbox, and that would be true when he thinks about Elder Scrolls 6. It is not surprising to see The Elder Scrolls 6 skip PS5, given that recent Bethesda games such as Arkane’s Redfall and Bethesda Game Studios’ own Starfield have also launched on Xbox and PC only. MachineGames’ upcoming Indiana Jones game is also expected to launch as an Xbox and PC exclusive.
Given the release window mentioned in the document, The Elder Scrolls 6 may also skip this generation of consoles, as the Xbox Series X and S will both be six years old by the end of 2026, and Microsoft’s next-generation console is targeting a launch in 2028. The Elder Scrolls 6 was announced five years ago at E3 2018, and Bethesda director Todd Howard recently suggested that he probably wouldn’t have revealed the game in the same way if he could go back in time. Bethesda head of publishing Pete Hines confirmed last month that the game is in early development and warned fans that they shouldn’t expect to hear about it anytime soon.