The Elder Scrolls VI remains Bethesda Game Studios' top priority, with development proceeding on Creation Engine 3, though no release date is set. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered is out on Nintendo Switch 2, and The Elder Scrolls Online is running Season 1 after a roadmap review.
The Elder Scrolls series is in a period of heavy activity and internal strain. Bethesda Game Studios confirmed in July 2026 that The Elder Scrolls VI is its main development focus, built on Creation Engine 3. Xbox executives have publicly vouched for the game's progress: Matt Booty said in June that he saw it running and called it 'amazing,' and CEO Asha Sharma said in August that she watched a live playthrough and praised its scale and story. Sharma hinted the subtitle is eight letters long, which fans have speculated could be 'High Rock.' No release date has been announced.
The series' other pillars are moving. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, which launched on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S in April 2025, arrived on Nintendo Switch 2 in August 2026 with a physical edition on August 11 and a digital release on August 12. The Switch 2 version supports DLSS, gyro controls, touch screen, and mouse modes. The Elder Scrolls Online launched Season 1, Resurgence of the Thieves Guild, on July 8, though its roadmap was put under review after Microsoft layoffs hit ZeniMax Online Studios.
Those layoffs have cast a shadow over the series. Over 50 staff were cut at Bethesda Game Studios, including veterans who worked from Morrowind onward, and reports said the cuts threatened The Elder Scrolls VI. Bethesda's union, OneBGS, filed legal action over minimum severance for laid-off workers. The studio said the layoffs will not affect The Elder Scrolls VI's roadmap. Skyrim continues to receive official paid mods, including 'Heart of the Mountain' in May 2026, and fan mods like Bard Hero and Effects 11 keep expanding the game.
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Bethesda Softworks announced July 31, 2026, that it is holding sales across multiple stores to commemorate its 40th anniversary, alongside a new logo reveal. Discounts cover The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, DOOM, Wolfenstein, and Starfield titles on Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG.com, PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store, and Nintendo Store.
Titan Roc released its debut action RPG, Forsaken Realms: Vahrin's Call, on PC via Steam on July 28. The game is set in a handcrafted high-fantasy world overrun by insect-like monsters called Khraiax, where players take on the role of a mercenary. Character development is not bound by class, allowing players to combine weapons, magic, alchemy items, and traps to create their own playstyle. The developer cited Fable, The Elder Scrolls, The Lord of the Rings, and Warhammer as major influences. Director Craig Smith said the team wanted to create a brutal, war-torn world where humanity, humor, and hope can still flourish. The game launched with full English voice acting and controller support, and the developer stated no generative AI was used in its creation. Within a day of release, roughly 300 Steam reviews had been collected, resulting in a Mixed rating. Players praised exploration and combat freedom but criticized unstable performance, unwieldy UI, and clunky combat and movement. In response, Smith issued a statement acknowledging the feedback and outlining priority fixes: widescreen support, keybinding changes, performance optimization, and localization. The game is priced at 4,400 yen, with a 10% discount to 3,960 yen until August 4. Japanese language support is not currently included, though the developer plans to use sales revenue to add other languages.
Bethesda Game Studios' labor union, OneBGS, announced on its official Bluesky account that it has taken legal action against the studio over severance terms given to laid-off employees. The layoffs, affecting dozens of workers in Canada who worked on the Fallout and The Elder Scrolls series, were first communicated via video call on July 6, 2026, with employment initially set to continue until September while the union and company discussed severance. However, on July 17, the same day Bethesda announced future developments for both franchises, affected employees received an email notification stating they would receive only the legally minimum severance pay, including pay in lieu of statutory notice and unused vacation pay, without union negotiation. Affected workers also lost group benefits at that point. OneBGS stated that this response violates Canadian labor law and that it has initiated legal proceedings. The union commented that while Xbox and Bethesda generate large profits from their workforce, workers are being discarded, and it aims to end the cycle where employees bear the cost of management's decisions.
Microsoft's Xbox division is undergoing a large-scale restructuring that will cut approximately 3,200 jobs over the next year, part of a broader layoff of about 4,800 employees across the company. As part of the reorganization, ZeniMax Media will shift its strategy to focus on major franchises including Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, DOOM, Quake, and Wolfenstein, according to a Bloomberg report cited by multiple outlets. The restructuring has hit id Software, the studio behind DOOM and Quake, particularly hard. Reports from Game Developer and Game Informer, cited by GIGAZINE and GameSpark, indicate that roughly half of id Software's staff has been laid off, with former Bethesda executive Jeff Gardiner reporting 95 layoffs out of an estimated 185 employees. Veteran developers including principal concept artist Colin Geller, animator Chris Street, and principal programmer Dustin Land have confirmed their departures. The quality assurance department was reportedly devastated. Arkane Studios in Lyon is also under review, with Microsoft considering strategic options including a sale or spin-out, though French labor laws may slow the process. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma told employees in an internal memo that no announced first-party titles will be cancelled.
Microsoft is reportedly planning to accelerate development of the Fallout, Elder Scrolls, and Halo series, with possible budget increases approved by CEO Satya Nadella and CFO Amy Hood, according to sources cited by The Information. The plan is part of a broader 'Xbox Reset' policy outlined by gaming division CEO Asha Sharma, which also includes workforce reductions and a review of investment policies. Budgets have not yet been finalized.