Asha Sharma got to see the game, which was announced eight years ago, at Bethesda Game Studios (BGS).

Out of the blue, the CEO of Xbox tweeted that she had just watched a live gameplay demo of The Elder Scrolls VI at the BGS headquarters in Rockville, Maryland. As expected, she had nothing but praise for the game: “Live playthrough of The Elder Scrolls VI: This morning. The scale and grandeur are incredible. The story is even greater.” The Bethesda Game Studios Twitter account replied in kind: “It was great being able to show you the game. Thank you for the kind words and a wonderful visit.”

It was great being able to show you ********. Thank you for the kind words and a wonderful visit.

— Bethesda Game Studios (@BethesdaStudios) August 11, 2026

It’s no secret that Phil Spencer’s successor wants to speed up the development of Bethesda’s two most important franchises, The Elder Scrolls and Fallout. These are among the biggest titles in the Xbox portfolio, but new instalments are typically produced quite slowly. Sharma’s new strategy to save the Xbox division primarily involves getting rid of underperforming studios (such as Double Fine, Compulsion Games, Ninja Theory and Undead Labs) and focusing investments on major IPs like those owned by BGS. Naturally, fans were shocked to learn that BGS was also affected by the layoffs, and the remaining employees reportedly fear that relying on cheaper external contractors will further delay the release of the game.

Bethesda developers and CWA union members brought “Scabby,” a giant inflatable rat and put up a wall of red flags outside Bethesda’s office in Maryland, to protest Microsoft’s recent Xbox layoffs.

The 800 red flags represent workers who have been laid off since July 2025.

The… pic.twitter.com/7KQiB70qhE

— Pirat_Nation 🔴 (@Pirat_Nation) August 11, 2026

Upon Sharma’s arrival, she was greeted by a special protest organised by the Communication Workers of America (CWA). The organisation had set up a giant inflatable rat and planted as many flags in the ground as there had been ZeniMax employees made redundant. Meanwhile, fans of The Elder Scrolls VI are already trying to guess the subtitle. Both tweets feature eight stars, leading to speculation that the subtitle will consist of eight letters. Potential candidates include the long-rumoured Hammerfell and/or High Rock regions, which feature in the game. These include Sentinel, a major city in Hammerfell and probably the strongest candidate for a Hammerfell-specific title. Other candidates include Redguard, the name of the race that inhabits Hammerfell (though this would reuse the name of the 1998 Elder Scrolls spin-off); Orsinium, an Orcish city with direct historical links to Hammerfell, High Rock and the Skyrim border; and Wrothgar, a large region in High Rock located at the north-eastern corner of the Iliac Bay. It is mostly inhabited by Orcs), and Balfiera (an island in the Iliac Bay containing the Adamantine Tower, which is part of the High Rock region).

However, it could be something entirely different. As indicated by Bethesda’s updated roadmap, Sharma wants to improve communication regarding The Elder Scrolls VI. We might even get a new trailer this year, perhaps at Geoff Keighley’s The Game Awards on 10 December?

Source: WCCFTech