Former Skyrim Designer Believes The Elder Scrolls VI Could Feature Large-Scale Naval Combat

Bruce Nesmith, one of Skyrim's lead designers, has shared his thoughts on what could become the biggest new feature in The Elder Scrolls 6. In an interview he suggested that the series could finally head out to sea, with boats and naval combat becoming one of the game's key features.

When asked what the big new feature of the next game could be, Nesmith said:

What will be the big new feature for Elder Scrolls 6? I think boats and potentially even naval combat are the natural ones

The developer ties this to the game's likely setting. Bethesda hasn't officially confirmed where The Elder Scrolls 6 will take place, but fans have long believed it will be Hammerfell or High Rock. Both regions border the Iliac Bay, which can also be seen in the game's first teaser from 2018. Nesmith believes this setting naturally lends itself to seafaring mechanics:

Setting Elder Scrolls VI in Iliac Bay, you're setting yourself up for a big expansion into seafaring stuff

He explained how important this mechanic could be by comparing it to Skyrim's signature feature:

Boats and gameplay over water, that would be a dragon-level feature, in my opinion

Nesmith also imagines that the seafaring mechanics could go deeper than just sailing a ship. According to him, the game could include dedicated water-related skill trees, while the ships themselves could have their own abilities and progression:

Entire skill trees allowing you to walk on water or have boats that allow you to do more than just sail your boat

It's worth keeping in mind that this is only Nesmith's personal opinion, not an announcement. He left Bethesda before development on The Elder Scrolls 6 began and admits that he doesn't know what the current team is planning. Still, rumors have previously circulated online that the game could be called Hammerfell and feature naval battles and shipbuilding. There's no official confirmation of this yet.

The Elder Scrolls 6 was announced back in 2018, but it still doesn't have a release date. Bethesda Game Studios is currently focused on the game. As a reminder, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma recently hinted that The Elder Scrolls 6 could come to PS5.