Elder Scrolls 6 Fans Use Character Creation Contest to Guess Release Date

Fans of The Elder Scrolls 6, much like those eagerly awaiting Grand Theft Auto 6, are hungry for any scrap of information. With little more than an official character creation competition to fuel their anticipation, it's no wonder the community has plunged into speculation about the game's release date.

This week, Bethesda unveiled its latest collaboration with Make-A-Wish, offering fans the opportunity to bid on a unique experience: working with Bethesda Game Studios to craft a character that will appear as an NPC in The Elder Scrolls 6. "For the last several years, we have been lucky enough to work with Make-A-Wish to grant wishes, support some of their local events, and provide items and experiences, all to benefit children who are fighting life-threatening illnesses," Bethesda stated. "This year, for their Silent Auction, we are giving one winner the opportunity to work with Bethesda Game Studios to create a character to appear as an NPC in The Elder Scrolls 6. All of the money made from the auction goes directly to Make-A-Wish."

While this is a commendable initiative, for The Elder Scrolls 6 enthusiasts, it's also a tantalizing clue. By comparing this project to a similar Make-A-Wish event for Starfield, the community is attempting to gauge the current development stage of The Elder Scrolls 6 and predict its release date.

The aptly named Reddit user 'FartingSlowly' noted that the 'chance to make a Starfield character' announcement came two-and-a-half years before Starfield's September 2023 release. From this, they speculated that The Elder Scrolls 6 might hit the shelves on September 27, 2027. "This is not a good indicator or metric for release by any standards," FartingSlowly conceded. "Do not take this too seriously. But. It is finally something. It isn't just a piece of junk speculation based on nothing, it's based on something from Bethesda themselves. Yeah, it's not something to actually care about but it is a refreshing change in the world of speculation."

As expected, the community has met this speculation with skepticism. Some argue that Starfield's Make-A-Wish competition was announced when it was slated for a November 11, 2022 release, suggesting The Elder Scrolls 6 might arrive in November 2026 instead.

Do you think Microsoft will have released a next-gen Xbox by the time Elder Scrolls 6 comes out?

Nope, Xbox Series X and S will still be Microsoft's only consolesYep, and 2026 can't come soon enough

It's been an eternity since Bethesda announced The Elder Scrolls 6 back on June 10, 2018. By January of this year, that announcement was as old as Skyrim was when The Elder Scrolls 6 was first revealed. The studio confirmed in August 2023 that The Elder Scrolls 6 had entered "early development," and by March 2024, "early builds" were available. As the six-year anniversary of the announcement passed last June, even Bethesda's development chief, Todd Howard, remarked, "oh wow, that has been a while."

Initially, The Elder Scrolls 6 was projected to launch no earlier than 2028, likely on the next generation of consoles alongside PC. If it does indeed release then, it will be a staggering 17 years after Skyrim. While we await more concrete information, delve into Everything we know about The Elder Scrolls 6.