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I’m Excited For Elder Scrolls 6: Sentinel To Be Nothing Like Skyrim
In this opinion piece, Tim Brinkhof argues that the next Elder Scrolls game, titled Sentinel, could benefit from being very different from Skyrim. A move to Hammerfell, a warmer and culturally distinct region, may help the series recover some of the unusual, otherworldly world-building that Brinkhof feels was more prominent in Morrowind and Oblivion.
Brinkhof still values Skyrim’s atmosphere, music and characters, but says its Viking-inspired setting can feel too familiar beside other fantasy worlds, including Game of Thrones. The reported in-game quotation is attributed to Yazar, a Moth Priest, and dated 4E 206; the article says this places Sentinel five years after Skyrim and points to a story involving time travel. The author’s central question is whether Bethesda will make Hammerfell distinctive or simply give Skyrim a sandy setting.
In short
- Sentinel is expected to take players to Hammerfell.
- Brinkhof hopes the setting restores the series’ stranger world-building.
- The story may involve time travel and is set five years after Skyrim.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
A game set in Hammerfell could give the series room to explore a distinctive culture, landscape and history, helping it recapture the strangeness that some players valued in Morrowind and Oblivion. A marked change in tone and setting could also let the next game stand on its own rather than invite constant comparison with Skyrim.
The case against
Skyrim’s familiar, Nordic-inspired world is a major part of its appeal, and its atmosphere, music and characters show that familiarity need not mean a lack of identity. Keeping more of that approach could give returning players continuity, while a new region or time-travel story could still make the game feel fresh without a wholesale departure.