The Elder Scrolls 6 Xbox Exclusivity Is Difficult To Nail Down, Says Phil Spencer

During the second day of legal proceedings in the FTC vs Microsoft federal case, Phil Spencer failed to specify which platforms The Elder Scrolls 6 will eventually launch on. The Xbox head went on to say that this detail for difficult for them to nail down right now as the release is really far away. Considering, how the Bethesda RPG is apparently not going to release for 5+ years, Spencer’s statement doesn’t feel untruthful.

As reported by the Verge during the live coverage of the trial, Phil Spencer told an FTC attorney that it’s too early to know if The Elder Scrolls 6 will be an Xbox exclusive or not. While on the stand, the Xbox head explained that it is so far out that it’s hard to even know what platforms there will be when the RPG comes out. In his own words, Spencer said:

I think we’ve been a little unclear on what platforms it’s launching on, given how far out the game is. It’s difficult for us right now to nail down. It’s so far out it’s hard to understand what the platforms will even be at this point.”

In response to this answer, the FTC attorney brought up a 2021 interview in which the Xbox head said that he sees a fate similar to Starfield for The Elder Scrolls 6 regarding platforms. As we know, Starfield is going to be exclusive to Xbox consoles and PC only with PlayStation not getting the upcoming RPG. Hence, it is easy to assume from the interview with GQ that a new entry in The Elder Scrolls franchise will end up the same way.

Phil Spencer answered this line of questioning by saying he doesn’t remember making such a statement in public. However, if he did, he probably believed it at that time but his opinion is very different today. After completing the Bethesda acquisition, the Xbox chief did say that its purpose is to deliver great exclusive games to the platforms employing Xbox Game Pass.

When I said it I believed it was [true], but if you ask me today I can’t recall a public statement.”

First announced way back at the 2018 E3, The Elder Scrolls 6 is not going to see the light of day anytime soon. Bethesda senior vice president Pete Hines said back in 2020 that we will not see any details regarding the RPG come out for many years. Furthermore, the game was still going through its design process as of 2021. When you add Spencer’s comment about the game being five-plus years away, a 2028 release date seems the likeliest.

If this prediction does turn out to be true, The Elder Scrolls 6 will probably be a launch title for the tenth-gen of consoles as per Microsoft’s estimates. Skyrim, the fifth mainline entry in the franchise, was released way back in 2011 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Therefore if the sixth game in the series does launch in 2028, there will be a two-generation gap between the two titles.

Hopefully, whenever The Elder Scrolls 6 launches, it comes out on as many platforms as possible.