Today Bethesda announced that it’s auctioning the chance to create an NPC for the highly anticipated RPG The Elder Scrolls 6.
The announcement was made on X (formerly Twitter) and comes as quite a surprise, considering that the developer has been rather quiet about the future iteration of the popular RPG franchise.
That being said, it’s for a good cause, as the proceeds from the winning bid of the silent auction (with a base bid of $1000) will go to Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic to help the nonprofit organization continue to grant wishes.
The auction text reads as follows:
“One winner will have the opportunity to work with the Bethesda Game Studios development team to create a character to appear as a video game NPC in The Elder Scrolls VI
Calling all gamers and fantasy fans! This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity allows you to immortalize yourself in one of the most highly anticipated video games of all time, The Elder Scrolls VI. The Elder Scrolls series, developed by Bethesda Game Studios, is renowned for its vast open worlds, deep lore, and immersive storytelling. With this exclusive experience, you’ll work with the developers to create a custom character that will appear in the game, leaving your mark on the legendary franchise. “
Of course, almost nothing is known about the game just yet. It was formally announced at E3 2018 (when E3 was still a thing), but its production has taken a backseat to the sci-fi RPG Starfield, which was released in 2023.
Now that Starfield’s launch is behind us, the Elder Scrolls 6 is likely somewhat deep in active development, but Bethesda remains mum on the specific state of development, with occasional vague hints and teases dropped by producer Todd Howard here and there.
Documents showcased during the legal battles against the FTC over the acquisition of Activision Blizzard indicate that we’ll have to wait at the very least until 2026 to play the game, albeit it’ll likely be longer.
That being said, the fact that the developer is willing to auction off the ability to create an NPC in the game may mean that they are getting closer to be ready to talk about it.
For the moment, fans can only wait and see (and perhaps bid on the auction if they want to support the cause or simply immortalize themselves in the game).
The Elder Scrolls Online has been providing us at the very least with a further taste of the world of Tamriel while we wait, but it has been over 13 years since Skyrim, and I certainly won’t blame those who are pining after a new single-player The Elder Scrolls experience.
