Phil Spencer Reiterates Elder Scrolls 6 Exclusivity Still Undecided

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Abiyan

At Tech4gamers, I cover all sorts of gaming news. Whether it’s a leak of any upcoming game or an update, an announcement, or a rumour, I like to write about it all. Over the weekend, I sit and write features where I talk about games that I miss or want to see return.

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Bethesda Game Studios is expected to focus all efforts on the development of The Elder Scrolls 6 after the recent release of Starfield. This entry will mark the first mainline Elder Scrolls title since Skyrim in 2011.

While The Elder Scrolls 6 was already announced in 2018, the game is still in early development, according to Pete Hines. Following Starfield’s Xbox exclusivity, similar questions have also been raised about the next Elder Scrolls title.

Answering this question, Phil Spencer recently claimed The Elder Scrolls 6 exclusivity is not confirmed yet.

Why it matters: The Elder Scrolls 5 Skyrim sold over 60 million units across systems like PS3, PS4, and even the Nintendo Switch. This means that the franchise has fans across all consoles.

During a recent interview with Bloomberg, Phil Spencer was asked whether The Elder Scrolls 6 would be exclusive like the recent titles. Phil Spencer stated that it is still up in the air since Microsoft does not have a universal approach to exclusivity.

He further clarified:

“We look at it on a case-by-case basis with the games that we build.”

He then reiterated Microsoft’s goals of reaching as many players as possible. This can be achieved thanks to the expansive Xbox ecosystem, which incorporates consoles, PCs, and cloud gaming.

While this reply may not provide a definitive answer, Phil Spencer remains consistent with previous statements. During the FTC court hearings a few months ago, he claimed the decision would be made closer to release.

Still, evidence has suggested that Xbox will maintain exclusivity for Bethesda Game Studios’ next title. During the FTC trial, Microsoft’s emails hinted that the company had already decided to keep all future Bethesda Softworks games as exclusives.

Recent releases like Hi-Fi Rush and Redfall were also released as exclusives, but things are always subject to change in the future.

The Elder Scrolls 6 is still far from release, so fans should not expect to learn anything about the RPG for the next year or two.

Phil Spencer has already suggested that it is at least five years away from release, and Todd Howard has massive ambitions to make it the ultimate fantasy simulator. Therefore, the game will likely require several years of development before it is ready.

Abiyan

[News Reporter]

Abiyan is on track to complete his Computer Science bachelor’s degree. His enthusiasm for writing and gaming motivates him to keep readers and gamers updated with the latest information from the industry. In his free time, Abiyan enjoys playing Dota 2 and Rocket League. Abiyan has also been cited in reputed websites such as Kitguru, Comicbook, GamingBible, Eurogamer and Gamingbolt.