The Elder Scrolls VI is in active development and progressing smoothly, while ZeniMax shifts focus to major IPs including The Elder Scrolls as part of an Xbox restructuring. A remaster of Oblivion is coming to Switch 2 in August, and The Elder Scrolls Online continues with new seasonal content.
Development of The Elder Scrolls VI is moving forward. Matt Booty, Xbox Chief Content Officer, told Variety that he saw the game running at Bethesda alongside Todd Howard and called it 'amazing.' Booty said the team will show footage when it is ready, to avoid making promises too early. The update is the first concrete progress report on the game in years.
Microsoft is reportedly planning to accelerate development of the Elder Scrolls series, along with Fallout and Halo, as part of a broader 'Xbox Reset' policy. The plan includes possible budget increases approved by CEO Satya Nadella and CFO Amy Hood, though budgets have not been finalized. The acceleration comes as ZeniMax undergoes a major review tied to Xbox restructuring, which plans to cut about 3,200 jobs over the next year. ZeniMax will shift strategy to focus on major franchises including The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, DOOM, Quake, and Wolfenstein.
Bethesda announced the Nintendo Switch 2 version of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered will launch on August 12, with a physical edition releasing August 11. The remaster originally launched on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S in April 2025. The Elder Scrolls Online Season 1 Resurgence of the Thieves Guild starts July 8, continuing the Thieves Guild storyline introduced in Season 0. Bethesda also released 'Heart of the Mountain,' a DLC-class fan mod for Skyrim priced at 1000 Creation Credits, adding a new land over 1.5 times the size of Solstheim with over 40 dungeons, 70 quests, and 11,000 lines of voiced dialogue.
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An IGN report cited by Game Spark reveals that over 50 staff have been laid off at Bethesda Game Studios, including veteran developers who worked on The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind onward. Current and former employees say the cuts threaten The Elder Scrolls 6, with replacement workers, onboarding delays, and staff from The Elder Scrolls Online being pulled in to fill gaps. A 27-year veteran, Christiane Meister, has also left.
Bethesda and Zenimax Online Studios, the team behind The Elder Scrolls Online, are affected by Xbox's ongoing restructuring. Bethesda's head Jill Braff told staff in an email that the company must focus on its strongest franchises. Kotaku reports that up to half of the ESO development team may be laid off, and the game's roadmap will shift.
ZeniMax Online Studios announced a review of The Elder Scrolls Online's development roadmap on July 6, the same day Microsoft laid off 1,600 Xbox employees with plans for 1,600 more. The roadmap for Season 1 and beyond will be changed, though Season 1 itself is still set to start July 9. A quest creator at ZeniMax said half her team was cut, indicating the layoffs are already affecting the game's schedule.
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.
Bethesda Softworks announced the Nintendo Switch 2 version of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered will launch on August 12. Digital pre-orders are open on the Nintendo eShop. A physical edition releases August 11, one day earlier. The remaster originally launched on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S in April 2025.
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.
Matt Booty, Xbox Chief Content Officer, told Variety that development of The Elder Scrolls VI is progressing smoothly. He saw the game running at Bethesda alongside Todd Howard and called it 'amazing.' Booty said the team will show footage when it is ready, not before, to avoid making promises too early.
Bethesda Softworks announced during the Xbox Games Showcase 2026 that The Elder Scrolls Online Season 1 Resurgence of the Thieves Guild will launch on July 8. A trailer accompanied the announcement. The new season continues the Thieves Guild storyline introduced in Season 0, pitting players against the Cordain Cartel in Daggerfall.
Bethesda Softworks surprise-released 'Heart of the Mountain', a DLC-class fan mod for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, on the Skyrim Creations platform. Priced at 1000 Creation Credits (about $10), the mod adds a new land over 1.5 times the size of Solstheim, with over 40 dungeons, 70 quests, and 11,000 lines of voiced dialogue. It was led by mod maker DarthVitrial.