Head of Xbox Phil Spencer has all but confirmed that The Elder Scrolls VI will be an Xbox console exclusive.
In an interview with British GQ, Spencer said that he sees the sequel to Skyrim as a similar case to fellow Bethesda title Starfield, which was confirmed for Xbox Series X/S and PC earlier this year.
At least in part, his reasoning seems to come down to what the Xbox ecosystem can offer its exclusives, including Cloud Gaming, Xbox Live services, and more:
“It’s not about punishing any other platform, like I fundamentally believe all of the platforms can continue to grow,” Spencer told GQ. “But in order to be on Xbox, I want us to be able to bring the full complete package of what we have. And that would be true when I think about Elder Scrolls VI. That would be true when I think about any of our franchises.”
Ever since Xbox bought Bethesda parent company ZeniMax Media, The Elder Scrolls 6's position as a possible exclusive has been a topic of debate. As arguably Bethesda's biggest franchise, there's been much made of whether Xbox would help or hinder itself by allowing the next Elder Scrolls game to be released on competing platforms.
Microsoft has previously said that Bethesda games would be released "first or better or best" on Xbox, but Bethesda's Todd Howard said that it was "hard to imagine" The Elder Scrolls 6 as an Xbox exclusive. Now, it seems as though the pendulum has swung the other way, with Spencer sounding far more bullish about the eagerly anticipated RPG staying on Microsoft-controlled platforms.
Elsewhere in the piece, Todd Howard reiterated that The Elder Scrolls 6 is still being designed, but added that the ultimate goal for the game remained similar to previous installments in the series:
"You go back and you read a review of the first Elder Scrolls. And then you read The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion's, then you read The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim's. You black out a couple things. And they read the same. 'You've stepped out and oh my gosh, it feels so real.' People change. Technology changes. But the ultimate goal is still to make it so that, when you boot the game up, you feel like you've been transported.”
It will still be at least several years before we play the game, especially as Howard told us that making Starfield was now-or-never, but we can expect the game to follow some familiar lines, with Bethesda Game Studios remaining committed to making single-player experiences.
Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.