Fans ofThe Elder Scrollsare languishing in the thought that the next game in the franchise is probably years away. Even if Bethesda is cooperating with Microsoft to do some showcases this summer, odds are that Bethesda will be focusing on games likeStarfieldrather thanThe Elder Scrolls.In spite ofThe Elder Scrolls 6’s announcement a while back, Bethesda has other projects to get out of the way. That’s reminiscent of another franchise’s status, though.Grand Theft Autois also supposedly on the precipice of getting a sixth game, but Rockstar has yet to reveal or confirm anything about it.
That leaves both of these franchises hanging in an interestingly similar limbo.The Elder ScrollsfansandGrand Theft Autofans are both waiting for the sixth game in the series, and in very similar circumstances. Not only are there other games that both Bethesda and Rockstar are giving priority, but that priority is ironic. NeitherThe Elder ScrollsnorGrand Theft Autohave gotten a new installation in the franchise in at least eight years, which would otherwise seem like more than enough time to develop another entry, especially for studios as talented and financially stable as Bethesda and Rockstar.
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Elder Scrolls Has Held Elder Scrolls Back
ManyElder Scrollsfans might actually blame the lastElder Scrollsgame for delayingThe Elder Scrolls 6for so long.Skyrimis one of the most frequently rereleased games in the industry’s history; its tenure stretches from the PS3 and Xbox 360 all the way to the Nintendo Switch. It’s pretty rare that a single video game lasts three console generations, let alone two. Nevertheless,Skyrimis still very relevant and a big talking point when it comes to RPGs, even now in the PS5 and Xbox Series X age. The longerSkyrimhas lived, though, the longer it takes Bethesda to move on and produceThe Elder Scrolls 6.Even thoughSkyrimis a solid game, constantly enhancing it and porting it to new platforms means a lot ofElder Scrollsattention is devoted exclusively to the present state ofThe Elder Scrollsand not the franchise’s future.
Everything changed at E3 2018 when Bethesda officially announced that it was working onThe Elder Scrolls 6.Although the trailer was brief and vague, not even offering concrete details onThe Elder Scrolls 6’s setting, just knowing that the game was in the works was a huge relief for fans of the franchise. It’s been nearly three years since the game was announced, though, and Bethesda hasn’t shared any further details about it. It’s entirely possible that Bethesda talks aboutThe Elder Scrolls 6atE3 2021 or at Summer Game Fest, but all signs indicate that Bethesda is prioritizing its new titleStarfieldoverElder Scrolls 6.Whether Bethesda talks about it soon or not,Elder Scrolls 6probably still years away from release. It needs to be an ambitious, immaculate RPG to really follow up onSkyrim,so odds are that it’ll be a late addition to the Xbox Series X.
Grand Theft Auto 6 and the Endless Rumors
Grand Theft Auto 6’s situation is very similar toElder Scrolls 6in an important way: just like howSkyrim’s incredible longevity has kept the franchise afloat for so many years,Grand Theft Auto 5has singlehandedly carriedGrand Theft Autofor the last several years. Not only wasGrand Theft Auto 5a tremendous success at launch, but it continues to be extremely popular. The multiplayer portionGrand Theft Auto Onlineis still getting updates, and it’s particularly popular withTwitch streamers who roleplay on servers like NoPixel. It’s fairly rare for a game as old asGrand Theft Auto 5to preserve such a high level of popularity with streamers.
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One thing that’s very different aboutGrand Theft Auto 6compared toElder Scrollsis thatGTA 6hasn’t actually been announced. Logically it seems like that the game is in development, considering how long it’s been sinceGTA 5came out, but without any evidence from Rockstar, it’s hard to know for sure if the game actually exists. Rumors like a return to classicGrand Theft Autocities constantly crop up, then get debated and cut down based on their believability. The constant churning of the rumor mill is now a familiar facet of fans' relationship withGrand Theft Auto 6.
It seems inevitable that Rockstar will announce the next game in theGrand Theft Autofranchise, but then, it’s not under a ton of duress to get it out anytime soon.Grand Theft Auto 5is one of the best selling video games in history, and streamers maintaining its popularity are surely motivating more sales. At the very least, the aggressive amount of speculation and “leaking” around the game indicates thatGrand Theft Auto 6has an enthusiastic audiencethat’s ready to buy and play the game. Rockstar should be aware of its fans and ensure not to rest on its laurels for too long.
Bethesda and Rockstar’s States of Development
One more difference between Bethesda and Rockstar’s current states is what they’ve got going on.Bethesda’s certainly got a lot on its plate, with the mysterious but anticipatedStarfieldin production and a big transition into Xbox Game Studios only recently completed. Rockstar, meanwhile, has suspiciously little in development. It’s mostly focused onGrand Theft Auto OnlineandRed Dead Onlineas far as fans can tell. It could very well be working onGrand Theft Auto 6right now, but keeping it under wraps until the game is closer to completion.
In spite of a few differences, there’s no mistaking how similar these franchises are right now. Both are historically pretty good at releasing new games on a reliable schedule, but their most recent installations have broken tradition by delaying the sixth entry by many years.Grand Theft AutoandThe Elder Scrollswill both inevitably move on, but both franchises have made fans wait for a really long time, and they’re probably going to make fans wait for a couple more years.Grand Theft Auto 6andThe Elder Scrolls 6are as much associated with obscurity as their parent franchises. Someday that’ll come to the end, and that’ll be a big day for both franchises.
The Elder Scrolls 6is in development.Grand Theft Auto 6is rumored to be in development.
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