Starfield trailer may be hiding a huge Elder Scrolls 6 reveal
The E3 2021 trailer has sparked a theory about The Elder Scrolls VI's location.
Following Starfield’s recent showing during the Microsoft-Bethesda E3 2021 showcase, excitement for the upcoming space RPG has reached all-time high. After all, this was our first real look at the game, giving us a better sense of its aesthetics and world — or galaxy.
Although Starfield is at the forefront right now, it’s not the only major Bethesda game in the pipeline. The acclaimed developer is also working on The Elder Scrolls VI, though we know even less about that game than we do Starfield.
However, Starfield’s E3 2021 trailer featured a segment that might contain an Easter egg for The Elder Scrolls VI, possibly hinting towards the fantasy RPG’s location and setting. This one might be a stretch, but eagle-eyed Redditors are convinced Bethesda just delivered a major clue.
But first: What are your favorite games and platforms of 2021, and what future releases are you most excited about? Take our poll!
A hint towards the Elder Scrolls 6 setting?
If you look at the scratches on the control panel on the right, you can see what looks like a rough outline of the Iliac Bay, an area in Hammerfell.
As spotted by Redditor Huhwtfbleh, there’s a section in the E3 2021 Starfield trailer that features a character in a cockpit, and you can see a dashboard with a ton of buttons and screens.
On the right side is a control panel with an etching engraved into it — one that is easily missed if you aren’t looking for it. Look closely at the right side of the image above, below the screw in the control panel.
As Huhwtfbleh notes, this etching looks a lot like High Rock from Iliac Bay, an area in Hammerfell, which is where The Elder Scrolls VI is rumored to take place.
A map of Lilac Bay in Hammerfell.
If you compare the etching to the map of Iliac Bay, it’s easy to see the resemblance. And if we’re under the assumption that The Elder Scrolls VI will be set in Hammerfall, this Easter egg holds a lot more weight.
The biggest issue is that this etching in the control panel doesn’t look exactly like Iliac Bay. It’s close, but it’s just off enough that it has sparked some debate over its validity. Perhaps that’s Bethesda’s plan all along: To get everyone talking about it.
The Elder Scrolls 6 could be set in Hammerfell
A map highlighting Hammerfell tweeted out by Bethesda.
On December 31, 2021, Bethesda tweeted out the above image with the caption: “Transcribe the past and map the future. Here's to a Happy New Year!”
As you can see in the image, the bottom-left is illuminated. Just above the light is “Hammerfell,” which could point to the location of the next Elder Scrolls game. What might seem like a simple tweet could be a tease for what’s to come.
When looking at this map, as well as the etching found in the Starfield trailer, it’s seeming increasingly likely that The Elder Scrolls VI will, in fact, take place in Hammerfell.
It’s possible the etching in the Starfield trailer is nothing. It may just a coincidence that it looks like Iliac Bay in Hammerfell. But Easter eggs and teases like these are common, and Bethesda has been known to give hints like this in the past. For all we know, maybe it’s just a bit of a troll meant to drum up speculation just like this?
It’ll likely be a while before we find out what it really means since The Elder Scrolls VI won’t be out for quite some time — long after the launch of Starfield.
Starfield is due out on Xbox platforms and PC on November 11, 2022.
