When Bethesda Game Studios first announced PlayStation 5 at all.
No Elder Scrolls 6 on PS5 may come as a shock to many people, especially considering Sony's emphasis on PlayStation exclusives. The most recent Elder Scrolls Online content continues on PS4, so it only seemed a given the next mainline Elder Scrolls game would appear on the PlayStation 5. Today, those expectations have pretty much been shattered.
Pre-orders for Microsoft's next-gen consoles, the pre-orders going live on September 22nd, the company officially announced it's acquired Zenimax Media for $7.5 billon. That may seem like a lot of money, but Zenimax Media is the holding company of several AAA game studios, including Bethesda Softworks. This means Microsoft now effectively owns many important and successful IPs, like Fallout, DOOM, Dishonored, and The Elder Scrolls.
Elder Scrolls 6 Could Be Xbox Exclusive Now
Because Microsoft now owns properties like The Elder Scrolls through its acquisition of Zenimax Media, the company will most likely keep those properties exclusive to their own consoles. This means future Elder Scrolls titles will probably be exclusive to Xbox and Windows, and it means Elder Scrolls 6 likely won't be coming to PS5. It's a huge win for Microsoft and the Xbox Series X, and announcing the acquisition before console pre-orders go live is a smart move. People on the fence about buying an Xbox Series X or S are most likely tempted to get one now that Microsoft owns so many high-grossing IPs.
Still, it's bad news for Sony and the PlayStation 5. Titles like The Elder Scrolls 6 are known as console sellers, meaning people will buy a console just to play the game. Although it may not hurt the PS5's sales in the long run, it will definitely give a boost to the Xbox Series X. Because of the acquisition, future Bethesda games will be added to Xbox Game the day they launch. It's a major industry shake-up, and it's one that should work out exceedingly well for Microsoft and Xbox.
Details for The Elder Scrolls 6 still remain almost non-existent. However, due to Microsoft buying Zenimax Studios, it means future details will probably be released as a part of Xbox Game Showcases. It also means that future Bethesda titles like the Elder Scrolls series most likely won't be coming to PlayStation 5.
