Pete Hines doesn’t think we’re close to hearing about the next Elder Scrolls game.

In less than three months, Skyrim will celebrate its fourth anniversary. Fourth anniversary! Sometimes it’s hard to believe that this groundbreaking game launched so long ago. Legions of hungry fans still play the game religiously, traveling from Riften to Solitude and all points between, seeking adventure and finding it. The world of Skyrim is imaginary, but it’s a world we all know and love.

Skyrim Sequel

Despite our love for Skyrim and its people and places, fans are anxiously awaiting the next installment of The Elder Scrolls series. In an industry where profits trump vision more often than not, it seems only natural that Bethesda would launch a Skyrim sequel as quickly as possible to cash-in on the game’s success. Thankfully, Bethesda isn’t that type of company. You can’t rush art, and The Elder Scrolls VI will be here when it’s ready.

But when?

Release Date News

As we all know, team Bethesda is very tight lipped when it comes to sharing news on developing projects, but earlier this week VP of Marketing Pete Hines shared some information regarding a Skyrim sequel with DualShockers.

In short — we’re in for a long wait.

In what may be disappointing news for Skyrim fans, Bethesda focuses on one game at a time, and for now that game is Fallout 4. According to DualShockers:

Hines mentioned that he doesn’t think we’re close to hearing about the next Elder Scrolls. Currently Bethesda is working on Fallout 4, and that takes the entire studio, which is 100% focused on it… Hines believes that it’ll be a “very long time,” before the team will talk about what they’ll be working on after Fallout 4.

Skyrim sequel pete hines — Pete Hines wearing a Fallout 3 T-shirt in front of a Skyrim building.

Release Date Best Guess

So what’s a “very long time?” Using past history as an example, our best guess for a Skyrim sequel isn’t until late 2019. Consider this:

November 11, 2011: Skyrim launches.
April 15, 2013: Bethesda announces they’ve stopped working on Skyrim to focus on Fallout 4: “Parts of our team have also been in pre-production on our next major project, and that game is at the point where it requires the studio’s full attention to make it our biggest and best work yet.”
November 10, 2015: Fallout 4 launches.

From Skyrim’s launch to Fallout 4 it’s taken 4 years. Assuming Bethesda is truly 100% focused on Fallout 4 (as Hines tells us they are) it’s not unreasonable to believe that it’ll take the same amount of time before The Elder Scrolls VI is here.

MUST READ: Elder Scrolls VI Multiplayer

Final Thoughts

A 2019 Skyrim sequel release is pure speculation at best, and I for one would be thrilled to be proven wrong. Wishful thinking says the game will launch much quicker than that, but unless Bethesda hires more staff or changes their focus earlier than they did with Skyrim, 2019 sounds plausible.

But what do you think? Am I crazier than an Orc freebasing skooma, or does 2019 make sense. When do you believe The Elder Scrolls VI will launch and why? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comment section below.