The The Elder Scrolls 6 will appear.
Xbox recently acquired Bethesda parent company ZeniMax Media, completing the acquisition in March 2021. As a result, several Bethesda titles were added to Xbox Game , making them free to all subscribers and giving new life to several older game like The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion and The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind.
Bethesda will almost undoubtedly talk Starfield, its first original RPG in 28 years, at E3 2021. Not much is known about the title, originally revealed at E3 2018, but it's rumored Bethesda will announce Starfield will be exclusive to Xbox and PC. However, Starfield was not the only game announced in 2018 that fans haven't heard from; will Bethesda include The Elder Scrolls 6 in its E3 2021 show?
E3 2021: Will The Elder Scrolls 6 Be There?
Why It Will
Since Bethesda announced The Elder Scrolls 6, very little has been revealed about the project. Given that E3 2020 was canceled due to the pandemic, it's been two years since the studio has revealed any major game updates. That's two years of potential progress on the game; the E3 2021 showcase would be a big opportunity to get The Elder Scrolls community excited by revealing more about TES 6.
The series' history could also hint at a The Elder Scrolls 6 reveal: There were only four years between the release of Morrowind and Oblivion and five years between Oblivion and Skyrim. In a time when games get regular updates, it's odd to go so long without an addition to a tentpole series. With Skyrim approaching its 10th anniversary in November, an E3 2021 reveal for its successor would be rather poetic.
Why It Won't
Unfortunately, The Elder Scrolls 6 may simply not be ready for any new information. Although it has been quite long since Skyrim and since TES 6's announcement, AAA games are continually getting more complex to make - especially open-world, lore-heavy ones. It stands to reason Bethesda would instead be focusing its efforts on Starfield to get the new IP ready for a 2021 or 2022 release date.
Additionally, the time following Skyrim has seen plenty of Elder Scrolls content in Bethesda's The Elder Scrolls Online MMO. The game takes place before the most recent mainline Elder Scrolls titles, providing new adventuring opportunities and lore since its 2014 release. Just this month, the new ESO: Blackwood expansion ripped open the Oblivion Gates. Prior quests and DLC have allowed players to visit many regions of Tamriel, such as Elsweyr, Black Marsh, Hammerfell, the Summerset Isles, and Valenwood, so The Elder Scrolls 6 will likely have to break truly new ground to successfully build on ESO's escapades.
In an ideal world, Bethesda would premiere a teaser trailer for The Elder Scrolls 6 at E3 2021, but far more likely is a full title and setting announcement, at most. Anything could happen, but fans should probably keep their expectations in check.
