It's Been 7 Years, and 'Elder Scrolls 6' Is 'Still a Long Way Off,' Todd Howard Admits

It’s been 14 years since Skyrim dropped. And seven years since that E3 2018 teaser. Now, Todd Howard has graced us with a new update: "Don't hold your breath."

In a new interview with GQ, the Bethesda boss confirmed what we all kind of knew in our cold, hollow hearts: The Elder Scrolls 6 is "still a long way off."

This isn't just a "we're not ready to show it" update. This is a "please stop asking" update.

'I'm Preaching Patience'

"I’m preaching patience," Todd told GQ, a full seven years after he put the damn thing on stage. "I don’t want fans to feel anxious."

It's a little late for that, Todd. We're past anxious. We're in a state of zen-like numbness.

He's at least a little reflective about it. When asked back in 2023 if he regretted announcing it so early, he admitted, "I have asked myself that a lot. I don’t know. I probably would’ve announced it more casually."

You think?

The Dream of a Shadow-Drop

Here's the wild part. Howard says his "perfect version" of a release isn't this seven-year-long blue-ball session. His dream scenario? "It’s going to be a while and then, one day, the game will just appear."

He even joked about the Oblivion: Remastered shadow-drop from earlier this year, saying, "You might say that was a test run. It worked out well."

The sheer, magnificent gall. He's "testing" a no-hype release on a remaster while the sequel to one of the biggest games in history sits in pre-production for the better part of a decade. I almost have to respect it.

So, What Is Everyone Doing?

It's not like the studio is on vacation. Howard claims "hundreds of people on Fallout right now," working on Fallout 76 and... "some other things."

VGC's sources say one of those "other things" is a Fallout 3 remaster, in the same style as the Oblivion one.

So, to recap: Fallout 4 just got an anniversary edition. Oblivion got a remaster. Fallout 3 is getting a remaster.

And The Elder Scrolls 6, the next brand-new game in the main series, is "still a long way off."

At least the timeline is clear. TES6 is next, and Fallout 5 will be after that. Todd says he wants TES6 to "fill that role of the ultimate fantasy-world simulator."

Great. I'll be sure to tell my grandkids.

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