It has been three years since the reveal ofThe Elder Scrolls 6, and Bethesda is still yet to announce the setting of the game. While some optimistic fans are hoping for news about the iconic fantasy franchise soon, they are likely to be waiting even longer as Bethesda puts upcoming projects likeStarfieldunder the spotlight.
It’s unlikely that the franchise will take fans back to any of the locations featured in the last three games: Skyrim, Cyrodiil, and Vvardenfell. However, there are also some other potential provinces forThe Elder Scrolls 6that can likely be eliminated, narrowing down the list of possible settings to give fans a good idea of the likeliest locations.
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The Elder Scrolls 6: Elsweyr
AlthoughElsweyrfinally got a chance to shine inThe Elder Scrolls Onlineexpansion of the same name, the Khajiit province is unlikely to appear inThe Elder Scrolls 6. In fact, the focus on the province in theElder Scrolls Onlineexpansion is unlikely to have been approved if Elsweyr was planned as the setting for the next game.
The Khajiit homeland would likely be considered a hard sell for a main game. Tamriel’s cat-men come in all shapes and sizes, from giant sapient battle-cats toWood Elf-like hybrids. While the setting might appeal to fans of the Khajiit, the sheer weirdness of Elsweyr could stand to alienate other players, particularly compared toSkyrim’s far more standard Viking theme. Simply put, the province may be too strange for a main installment of the series.
The Elder Scrolls 6: Black Marsh
Black Marsh, home of the Argonians, faces many of the same challenges as Elsweyr. Home to Tamriel’s other main Beastfolk race, Black Marsh could risk centering one of Tamriel’s stranger sides too prominently, pushing away fans looking for a more standard fantasy experience.
Tackling Black Marsh would require Bethesda to dive into confusing aspects of the lore likethe Hist, the sentient trees with an inherent connection to the Argonians.The Elder Scrolls 3took the series the furthest from standard medieval fantasy aesthetics that is has ever gone, but evenMorrowindstuck to Tamriel’s version of the Dark Elves, still a fantasy staple. For better or worse,OblivionandSkyrimfocused on more generic fantasy settings, andThe Elder Scrolls 6is likely to follow suit.
The Elder Scrolls 6: Valenwood
Valenwoodhas the makings of a good candidate forThe Elder Scrolls 6’s setting. There are some interesting parts of the lore that could be realized by the time the next game comes out, like the province’s migrating cities. The most damning piece of evidence against the existence ofThe Elder Scrolls 6: Valenwoodonce again comes fromThe Elder Scrolls Online.
The Elder Scrolls Onlineonly depicts certain regions of certain provinces. Though the MMO has slowly added to the world over time, there are still major parts of Tamriel which are totally inaccessible. Most of central Skyrim and large parts of Hammerfell have been left untouched, for example. The same can not be said for Valenwood, which is divided into four zones inElder Scrolls Onlinecovering the entirety of the province.
The Elder Scrolls 6could render its own take on Valenwood, increase the scale, and show the province at another point of Tamriel’s history. However, as with Elsweyr it seems unlikely thatBethesda Game Studioswould have allowed Valenwood to be brought to life in full if it was planned as the setting for the sixth game.
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The Elder Scrolls 6: Summerset
The heartland ofthe Aldmeri Dominion, the Summerset Isles, could be a fascinating setting for the next game. Players could feel like they’re behind enemy lines, foiling the Thalmor’s schemes from the inside out. Unfortunately as with Valenwood, the entire region has already been explored inElder Scrolls Online.
The Elder Scrolls Online: Summersetdived into the province head first. As withThe Elder Scrolls Online: Elsweyr, the title ofThe Elder Scrolls Online: SummersetmakesThe Elder Scrolls 6: Summersetunlikely to be the plan. Both theSummersetandElsweyrexpansions released within a year ofThe Elder Scrolls 6’s announcement back in 2018, which BGS again would have been unlikely to approve if either one was planned asThe Elder Scrolls 6’s setting.
The Elder Scrolls 6: High Rock
High Rock may be one of the most likely settings forThe Elder Scrolls 6. Like Skyrim and Cyrodiil, it’s a primarily human province, giving it a more accessible foundation than the Mer of Beastfolk provinces. Many fans believe that the landscape shown inThe Elder Scrolls 6’s trailerresembled descriptions of High Rock. However, the province, like Summerset and Valenwood, is also depicted almost in its entirety inThe Elder Scrolls Online.
Even the borderlands between High Rock and Skyrim were explored inElder Scrolls Online: Wrothgar, taking players to the Orc-populated areas of Tamriel for the first time. High Rock isn’t out of the question, but this certainly makes it less likely.
The Elder Scrolls 6: Hammerfell
Hammerfellis one of the toughestElder Scrolls 6settings to argue against, and has been a frontrunner in the minds of many fans since the sixth game’s announcement. The Redguard province avoids almost every pitfall the other possible locations fall into. It is a human province, making it accessible and easier to market. Huge central parts of the province have been left untouched by the MMO and its expansions so far. An image released by Bethesda earlier this year even showed a light over Hammerfell, only making speculation more intense.
The region also has connections toSkyrim’s story. Like the northern province, Hammerfell’s relationship with the peace established between the Empire and the Aldmeri Dominion is particularly fraught, and it was released as an Imperial province. Hammerfell is a geographically diverse area with everything from pirate ports to extensiveDwemer ruins. Of all the settings speculated to have been chosen forThe Elder Scrolls 6, Hammerfell still arguably remains the most likely. Whether or not fans will get confirmation any time soon, however, remains to be seen.
