The Elder Scrolls Locations Other Than Hammerfell That TES 6's Trailer Could Be Teasing

It’s been over six years since The Elder Scrolls 6 was first announced back at E3 2018, and the lack of any information since has left the vast and varied landscape it depicted to still be a subject of speculation among fans to this day. Many recognized what appeared to resemble the province of Hammerfell within the teaser trailer, an area of Tamriel that has only begun to seem more likely in the wake of growing rumors. With the numerous zones of that world which also share many of the same traits, however, it’s still possible that The Elder Scrolls 6 won’t feature the home of the Redguards as its main setting.

Following the precedent set by Daggerfall taking place in the Iliac Bay between High Rock and Hammerfell, it’s not out of the question that players could find themselves returning to what was once a mostly procedurally generated take on Tamriel. While both of these provinces haven’t had a proper spotlight in a mainline title since the innovations of Morrowind, the greater environmental diversity of a place like High Rock alone could see it, or even a totally different place, as the chosen location for TES6 instead of Hammerfell entirely.

The Elder Scrolls 6’s Setting is Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Bethesda has some tough choices to make for The Elder Scrolls 6 when deciding its setting, especially as it could make or break the game.

Bethesda’s Potential Development Priorities

As a region specifically known for its deserts, it might be a somewhat odd decision for TES6‘s trailer to have revealed a section of Hammerfell which appears to be primarily composed of mountainous areas and a coast. There is diversity within the province that wouldn’t be ignored, but many other key places in Tamriel are similarly associated with high peaks and proximity to the ocean. This could be signaling a return to the Iliac Bay or simply a look at an unseen area, but it’s also true that Hammerfell for The Elder Scrolls 6 may not even be a discussion at all if it wasn’t for the influence of rumors.

It seems that Starfield took priority at Bethesda until its launch last year, and the studio has begun taking development on the next Elder Scrolls seriously since then. Speculation has recently been fueled by the Pinterest board of a TES6 developer hinting at Hammerfell design motifs being a focus of the concept art team, including styles of clothing and wildlife. Given what may be the early stages of this title’s development, however, it’s still too early to tell if this confirms the entirety of the province itself.

Port regions are not an uncommon sight in Tamriel, and the coastal region shown off for TES6 could be any number of places across several provinces. Not only is High Rock itself mostly surrounded by coasts that could all occupy this space, but the likes of Cyrodiil and TES‘ unexplored Summerset Isles even have their own contenders for similar landscapes.

While it might seem redundant to repeat part of the setting of Oblivion, the active nature of the Gold Coast as an important place for trade and its potential to change with the timeline bear a lot of potential for a next-gen RPG. In contrast, an equally fitting place like the Summerset Isles, an isolated archipelago unexplored outside ESO‘s streamlined interpretation, could have far more narrative significance than any other location given the growing influence of the Thalmor.

Apart from the regions that mostly closely resemble what was in The Elder Scrolls 6‘s trailer, there are still several places it could be due to the vague nature of what was shown off. Considering the mix of features in the landscape, any of the following parts of Tamriel and beyond could make sense: