The Elder Scrolls Online Keeps Tamriel Alive While Fans Wait for Elder Scrolls 6

It has been nearly 14 years since The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim first launched, and in that time it has become a cultural meme for its endless re-releases across nearly every platform imaginable. Yet, despite Skyrim’s enduring presence, fans have been craving a truly new Elder Scrolls experience. The Elder Scrolls VI was officially announced back in 2018 with a short teaser, but years later, it remains far from release. Estimates suggest it may not arrive until 2028, which would mark an astonishing 17-year gap between mainline Elder Scrolls titles. In the meantime, many players have found themselves turning to The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) as a way to revisit Tamriel and keep the Elder Scrolls spirit alive.

ESO, developed by ZeniMax Online Studios and launched in 2014, endured a rocky start but has since evolved into a long-running MMO with a strong community. Eleven years later, it continues to receive expansions, new systems, and ongoing developer support. Remarkably, it has weathered industry-wide layoffs, the restructuring of Bethesda under Microsoft, and even leadership changes. The developers now openly talk about building ESO to last another 20 years, with significant overhauls planned to ensure its future stability.

During Gamescom 2025, ESO’s game director Nick Giacomini and studio director Rich Lambert spoke with IGN about the unique role ESO plays in the absence of Elder Scrolls 6. According to them, the MMO has become a sort of surrogate Elder Scrolls experience. Many fans, while waiting for the next single-player entry, treat ESO as if it were a solo RPG. “We hear that a lot,” Lambert admitted. “For many people, this is their Elder Scrolls home. They come in, play the storylines solo, explore the world, and treat it exactly like a single-player RPG, just with other people existing around them.”

This shift in approach was intentional. At launch, ESO tried to straddle the line between MMO mechanics and Elder Scrolls traditions, which resulted in a game that didn’t fully satisfy either side. Over time, ZeniMax changed direction, placing Elder Scrolls identity at the forefront and relegating MMO trappings to second place. The result was a game that allowed players to explore Tamriel at their own pace, largely solo if they wished, while also offering optional systems for those who wanted housing, PvP battles, or collectible card games. This flexibility became one of ESO’s strengths, letting different players find their own way to engage with the game.

The recent release of Oblivion Remastered provided an interesting case study. For a brief moment, ESO’s player numbers dipped as fans dove into the remaster of the 2006 classic. But shortly after completing it, many returned to ESO hungry for more Elder Scrolls content. Lambert explained that this mirrored what happened after Amazon’s Fallout show boosted interest in Bethesda’s post-apocalyptic series. ESO benefited from the renewed interest, seeing lapsed players return and newcomers give the MMO a shot. “It was pretty exciting,” Giacomini added. “The momentum actually carried on for quite some time.”

Still, not every player embraces ESO wholeheartedly. Some fans criticize the combat system for being too easy or repetitive, lamenting level scaling that makes fights feel identical no matter the zone. Others point to mechanics like animation weaving and limited build diversity, which can leave combat feeling shallow. There are also those who simply wish ESO leaned more heavily into the single-player Elder Scrolls formula, with slower progression and Skyrim-style grinding systems. Yet even with these critiques, ESO has carved out a place as one of the most enduring MMOs on the market, offering Tamriel as a living, evolving world that players can return to again and again.

The real elephant in the room remains The Elder Scrolls VI. Bethesda confirmed it had entered early development in 2023, with experimental builds appearing in 2024. But official updates remain scarce, and even Todd Howard himself has admitted the gap has dragged on far longer than intended. Speculation persists that Howard’s ambition to create something groundbreaking forced Bethesda to delay work until technology caught up to his vision. Regardless of the reasons, the drawn-out wait has caused some frustration among fans. As one sentiment goes: “Todd did this to himself by teasing a game so far ahead of schedule.”

Until Elder Scrolls 6 finally arrives – likely on next-gen consoles and PC – ESO stands as the most reliable way for fans to immerse themselves in Tamriel. Whether treating it as a single-player epic with occasional online quirks, or as a full-fledged MMO with guilds, raids, and social systems, the game continues to provide a bridge across what may end up being the longest drought between Elder Scrolls entries in history. While not everyone is convinced it scratches the same itch, it undeniably offers a space for Elder Scrolls fans to keep the fires of Tamriel burning while the future of the franchise slowly takes shape.