A recent statement from a Microsoft lawyer has raised questions about the fate of Elder Scrolls 6 and Fallout 5, two highly anticipated games. In response to a question from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the lawyer inadvertently mentioned an Elder Scrolls 6 release in 2026.

Microsoft lawyer leaked Elder Scrolls 6’s release date

The Elder Scrolls 6 reveal trailer celebrated its fifth anniversary, leaving fans eager for any news regarding the game. With Bethesda’s Starfield nearing completion, many had assumed that development on The new Elder Scrolls would commence shortly after. However, if the lawyer’s statement is believed, Bethesda would have little time to meet the speculated 2026 release date.

Could I clarify one issue that council raised with you, when you were asking about Zenimax and asked him to find a game that was most similar to Xbox, he mentioned Elder Scrolls. That is incorrect. There are two Elder Scrolls games, one is online called Elder Scrolls Online — that is a multiplayer game, it is on PlayStation today. He’s talking about Elder Scrolls 16, that is projected for release in 2026 as a single-player game.

On the other hand, Xbox’s Phil Spencer stated that he doesn’t know which platforms will be available when The new Elder Scrolls releases. As part of testimony during the Microsoft vs FTC hearing, Xbox CFO Tim Stuart revealed that Phil Spencer had decided in November 2021 to make all future ZeniMax games exclusive.

Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty further confirmed this, stating that Phil Spencer had clarified that all titles would be Xbox exclusives in the future.

Microsoft bought ZeniMax Studios in 2021, and since then it has made the decision to launch two all-new games from that division as Xbox console exclusives, Redfall, and the upcoming Starfield.