According to a Microsoft document, The Elder Scrolls 6 is expected to launch for PC and Xbox in 2026 or later – and it won’t be coming to PlayStation 5 (PS5).
The document, shared by Axios reporter Stephen Totilo on X, comes from the Microsoft v. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) trial that wrapped up recently. Its contents are mostly uninteresting, revealing a very clear-cut look at previously announced Bethesda titles and their release dates, platforms, multiplayer functionality, etc. If you couldn’t tell from the big red X in the “Released on PlayStation?” row in The Elder Scrolls 6 column, Microsoft doesn’t seem to have any intention of bringing the latest entry in its fantasy universe to PS5. You can see the document for yourself below.
Related: The Elder Scrolls VI Is Still in the Design Phase, Says Todd Howard
And in another newly-released document from the FTC case, here's is Microsoft telling the FTC in Sept 2022 that ESVI "may be released only on Xbox and PC" pic.twitter.com/axaGUwWAW8
— Stephen Totilo (@stephentotilo) September 18, 2023
The Microsoft document also comes with comments from the company that explain why a game is given Xbox platform exclusivity or not. The quote pertaining to The Elder Scrolls 6, specifically, comes from an interview GQ conducted with Xbox head Phil Spencer in 2021. The full quote is as follows: “It’s not about punishing any other platform, like I fundamentally believe all of the platforms can continue to grow. But in order to be on Xbox, I want us to be able to bring the full complete package of what we have. And that would be true when I think about Elder Scrolls 6. That would be true when I think about any of our franchises.”
Microsoft announced plans to purchase Bethesda’s parent company, ZeniMax Media, in 2020. Since then, we’ve already begun to see games like Starfield, as well as other Bethesda titles like Redfall, launch exclusively on Xbox platforms. Although existing PS5 games like The Elder Scrolls Online will remain on the Sony platform with more updates planned for the future, it looks like players might want to pick up an Xbox or PC if they want to continue to experience Bethesda titles.
Bethesda Game Studios is surely already at work on The Elder Scrolls 6 since launching Starfield earlier this month. Although the company is expecting to see it come to Xbox and PC as early as 2026, a release that soon is almost certainly unlikely. If it comes out later, it might skip the Xbox Series X | S line of consoles entirely, so be sure to stay tuned for updates as the company continues its work on its next big RPG experience.
