Bethesda’s Vice President, Pete Hines, takes to Twitter to poke fun at a prediction from analyst Michael Pachter that suggests The Elder Scrolls 6 will release next year.
Bethesda, as a developer and publisher, has significantly altered the way the modern video game industry handles everything from releases to reviews. Earlier this year, Bethesda made the unprecedented decisions to stop providing early review copies of its games, stating that the company wished everyone to experience the games it produces “at the same time”. The year prior, Bethesda shocked the world when it unveiled Fallout 4 at E3 2015 and then released the game in less than six months after the announcement.
It’s safe to say, however, that with a resume that includes releasing a major title just months after announcing it even existed, Bethesda has a pretty good idea of when its games will be ready. That’s why so many fans of the The Elder Scrolls series of games were so disappointed when Bethesda stated The Elder Scrolls 6 isn’t an active project yet - the size and scope of those games takes years to create, so it’s unlikely The Elder Scrolls 6 is anything more than a pipe dream.
That hasn’t stopped speculation about the game from running rampant, however, and because of the earlier Fallout 4 turnaround time, some well-known industry insiders have been projecting a 2017 release date for The Elder Scrolls 6. Michael Pachter, an analyst with Wedbush, was quoted as saying that he thinks “Bethesda is close” to being done their next Elder Scrolls game. That was enough to draw out a response from Bethesda Vice President Pete Hines, but it wasn’t one that Pachter was likely hoping for:
