Summary
Almost nothing is known aboutThe Elder Scrolls 6at the moment, with little more than a brief teaseer trailer to go on and Bethesda’s confirmation that the game is still a work in progress. However, that hasn’t stopped theElder Scrollscommunity from speculating on various things regarding its gameplay, including where it will be set. For the most part, eachElder Scrollsgame has taken players to another prominent region in Tamriel, with the most recent mainline installment,The Elder Scrolls 5, taking them to Skyrim. As far asThe Elder Scrolls 6goes, Hammerfell has proven to be the number one contender for its setting.
Regardless of why Hammerfell is expected to beThe Elder Scrolls 6’s setting, if the game does indeed end up taking place there, it wouldn’t need to leave out Skyrim entirely. This would not only serve as a great way for players to see and/or return to the placeElder Scrollsfans have now become more than familiar with over the last dozen years, but it would also effectively connectThe Elder Scrolls 6to the series' past — and one of its most significant eras, at that. The reason Skyrim wouldn’t need to be left out of anElder Scrolls 6set in Hammerfellultimately boils down to the geographical positioning of each province, along with the potentialThe Elder Scrolls 6would have to take players there using its gameplay.
An Elder Scrolls 6 in Hammerfell Could Still Have Ties to Skyrim
Hammerfell Borders Skyrim in The Elder Scrolls' Tamriel
Those who are familiar withThe Elder Scrollslore and its Tamriel overworld likely know that Hammerfell borders Skyrim. The two are so close to one another, in fact, that it’s possible to see Hammerfell in the distance from certain points in the world inThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. As such, ifThe Elder Scrolls 6does indeed end up being set in Hammerfell, players would more than likely be able to see Skyrim (or at least its mountains) in the distance, just as it seems they can inThe Elder Scrolls 6’s reveal trailer.
An Elder Scrolls 6 Set in Hammerfell Could See Players Travel to Skyrim Temporarily
While it’s almost certain that players would be able to at least bear witness to Skyrim’s majesty in a Hammerfell-basedElder Scrolls 6, the unknown is whether they would actually get to visit the province many of them have spent years investing in. It might feel like too much of a tease if players merely get to see Skyrim fromThe Elder Scrolls 6’s rumored setting of Hammerfell, which would leave the game with little choice but to find a way to let players set foot on its snow-covered slopes at least temporarily.
IfThe Elder Scrolls 6does indeed end up being set in Hammerfell, players would more than likely be able to see Skyrim (or at least its mountains) in the distance.
Firstly, a portion of southern Skyrim — likeFalkreath, Markarth, or Rorikstead— could potentially be explorable by players from Hammerfell, especially if a major road system connects the two regions. Additionally,The Elder Scrolls 6could give players a reason to travel there with a side or main quest that requires them to visit Skyim. If not a single quest, perhaps anElder Scrolls 6set in Hammerfell would eventually add Skyrim-based DLC that would offer players an entire questline in the region.
IfThe Elder Scrolls 6truly does take place in Hammerfell, it would be a missed opportunity not to incorporate Skyrim in some capacity. Whether through the ability to see it from afar, the opportunity to explore some of Skyrim’s locations near Hammerfell’s border, or even a questline that pulls players back into familiar territory, Skyrim’s presence could help tie the game to the franchise’s history while expanding its world in meaningful ways. With so muchnostalgia tied toThe Elder Scrolls 5, allowing players to revisit even a portion of its iconic landscape would not only strengthenThe Elder Scrolls 6’s connection to its predecessor but also provide a bridge between eras of the series.
