The Elder Scrolls 6 will not be released on PlayStation 5

Recent documentation that was released as part of the FTC vs. Microsoft case has revealed key information about some of the existing IPs that Microsoft has been working with, particularly with Bethesda, and how Microsoft has been approaching the release of titles since 2018.

The big headline from this is that the next installment in The Elder Scrolls franchise, The Elder Scrolls VI, originally announced at E3 2018, is not coming to Sony's PlayStation 5 console. The other key bit of information around this title is that it will not be released for at least another 3 years, slated to be 2026 or later.

The above is very interesting given that only a couple of months ago, Phil Spencer stated that they were "unclear on what platforms it's launching on," even though the image above clearly shows that The Elder Scrolls VI is to launch only on Xbox and PC platforms.

Ever since Microsoft purchased ZeniMax Media, which includes Bethesda Game Studios, back in 2021 for $7.5 billion, it's been expected that the studio's upcoming games would end up as Microsoft-exclusive titles even when they were historically multi-platform, such as The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Upcoming titles from Bethesda Game Studios have been confirmed to be coming only to Microsoft's platforms in previous months, such as the untitled Indiana Jones game that is in development (not featured on the graphic above), which was originally announced in 2021 with no further details revealed since.

This news follows on from a few revelations from these documents, such as how Microsoft has been exploring the ability to stream PC games as well as Xbox titles in the future. Any developments into this would ultimately fall into Ubisoft's hands if the deal to buy Activision Blizzard was approved by the UK's Competition and Markets Authority.

Source: The Verge