A New Elder Scrolls Game Just Released Out Of Nowhere

No, it's not The Elder Scrolls VI, but a new game set in Bethesda Games Studios' fantasy universe did just release with no warning whatsoever: The Elder Scrolls: Castles.

Currently available as a free download on the Google Play Store and listed as being in early access, The Elder Scrolls: Castles is described as putting players in control of a medieval dynasty, where they'll oversee a castle of subjects and family members as the years go by. The game doesn't yet look to be available on iOS or on PC, and from what we can tell, wasn't ever officially announced.

One look at the screenshots brings to mind 2015's Fallout Shelter, a mobile game revolving around managing one of the iconic Vaults from Bethesda's popular post-apocalyptic RPG series. It looks like players build their castle much in the same way it worked in Fallout Shelter. Another screenshot invites players to complete "epic quests" and shows a party of characters battling a massive red dragon, while another highlights a ruler on their throne making decisions about what, in this case, seems to be a trivial matter related to someone's lack of musical talent.

The Elder Scrolls: Castles isn't the first mobile game set in Nirn. A card game spin-off, The Elder Scrolls: Legends, released for mobile and PC in 2017. While the game is still playable, it no longer receives new updates. Another Elder Scrolls mobile game, the first person dungeon The Elder Scrolls: Blades, released in 2019. According to the game's website, its latest content patch came in January 2022, when it added new event quests.

As for when players can expect to get their hands on the next mainline entry in the fantasy RPG franchise, it won't be anytime soon. Despite being announced in 2018, Xbox boss Phil Spencer said during a recent Federal Trade Commission hearing related to Microsoft's attempted purchase of Activision Blizzard that The Elder Scrolls VI is still "five-plus years away." The good news, however, is that early development for The Elder Scrolls VI has officially started, even if more information about the title is still years away. Meanwhile, Bethesda's new IP, Starfield, recently released and attracted more than 10 million players.