A Microsoft lawyer has made anElder Scrolls 6mistake while responding to a question from the FTC, claiming that “Elder Scrolls 16” will be released in 2026.The Elder Scrolls 6reveal trailer recently turned five years old, and fans have been clamoring for any news about the upcoming sequel.
TheFTC first moved to block Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard acquisitiona few weeks ago, and since June 22, the company has faced the regulator in an attempt to get the move approved. Microsoft purchased Bethesda in 2021, in what was one of the biggest video game acquisitions ever made. Ever since, some Bethesda games have become Xbox console exclusives, withStarfieldin particular not releasing on PlayStation 5. As a result, the Bethesda acquisition has been a big focus of the hearing, as it could hint at how Microsoft may act in the event of owning Activision Blizzard.
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The strange gaffe was first reported by The Verge, which has been transcribing the hearing as it has happened. Microsoft’s lawyer looked to correct the FTC on anElder Scrolls-based issue and ended up making a mistake of their own. The lawyer refers to “Elder Scrolls 16,” and claims it is “projected for release in 2026 as a single-player game.” Now, it’s easy to assume this lawyer was talking aboutThe Elder Scrolls 6, and it raises some interesting questions about the upcoming title.Phil Spencer recently hintedThe Elder Scrolls 6is five-plus years awayand it would be strange for a lawyer to knowingly contradict that.
WithStarfieldnearing completion, it was assumed thatThe Elder Scrolls 6would likely enter full production at some point later this year, or early next year at the latest. Even still, this means that Bethesda would be left with little time to hit that 2026 release date. It also seems unlikely that a lawyer would be privy to this knowledge, so right now it seems like a simple slip of the tongue.
The FTC hearing so far has been filled with these kinds of errors, andThe Elder Scrolls 6isn’t the only victim. Through a series of accidentally unredacted documents, the budgets ofThe Last of Us Part 2andHorizon Forbidden Westwere revealed, andthe existence ofDayZ 2was also leaked. It’s almost impressive how much has managed to slip through the cracks over the past few days, especially in a hearing where the details are so key.
