Bethesda dev explains why Elder Scrolls 6 was announced seven years before development began

Reddit users are calling out publishers for announcing games years before they're ready to ship. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake and Star Wars Eclipse both dropped trailers in 2021 and vanished. The Elder Scrolls VI has been radio silent for seven years since its 2018 reveal.

This "vaporware marketing" follows industry logic that developers openly defend. Early announcements let staff list projects on their resumes, which stabilizes teams—once a game goes public, cancellation becomes much harder to justify. For investors, early reveals attract funding and talent while preventing fragmented leaks that could spiral into PR disasters.

Hideo Kojima's Death Stranding proves the model can work. He stated publicly that the early announcement boosted team morale and reduced employee stress. But apply that same logic to The Elder Scrolls VI and it falls apart—seven years later, player anticipation has curdled into mockery.

The friction comes from mismatched timelines. Studios treat early announcements as fundraising and hiring tools. Players interpret them as "coming soon." Kingdom Hearts IV sits in the same limbo, with communities shifting from excitement to exhaustion.

If you're waiting on The Elder Scrolls VI or those Star Wars projects, redirect your attention to indies showing actual gameplay footage. AAA titles announced this early typically need 5-8 years of development. Focus on games that are genuinely close to release instead of burning energy on distant promises.