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Elder Scrolls 6 Exclusivity Not About Punishing Other Platforms, Spencer Says

Microsoft is not punishing Sony, but Phil Spencer says, "In order to be on Xbox, I want us to be able to bring the full complete package of what we have."

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After Starfield, Bethesda Game Studios is releasing The Elder Scrolls VI, and it will be an exclusive to Xbox and PC after Microsoft acquired parent company ZeniMax. Xbox boss Phil Spencer has now spoken again about the exclusivity deal, telling GQ it's not about "punishing" other platforms, but making it exclusive to Xbox and PC was important so it could take advantage of the "full complete package" of what Microsoft can offer.

"It's not about punishing any other platform, like I fundamentally believe all of the platforms can continue to grow," he said. "But in order to be on Xbox, I want us to be able to bring the full complete package of what we have. And that would be true when I think about Elder Scrolls VI. That would be true when I think about any of our franchises."

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Now Playing: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition Trailer

The "full complete package" that Spencer is referring to is seemingly everything that Microsoft offers, including Xbox Live, Game Pass, Cloud Gaming, and other Xbox features that might not be possible if The Elder Scrolls VI launched on other platforms.

While we know The Elder Scrolls VI will be exclusive to Xbox and PC when it releases, that's about all we know about the highly anticipated game. Todd Howard said in the interview that the next Elder Scrolls game is being designed to have a long-lasting impact similar to Skyrim, which just celebrated its 10th anniversary and is still going strong.

"I think that would drive me crazy to try to say, 'Okay, this is the thing you have to top,'" Howard said of Skyrim. "But then you realize, like, The Elder Scrolls VI has got to be a 'decade game.' How do you make a game where you go into it, like, 'People have to play it for a decade?'"

The next game from Bethesda Game Studios is Starfield, which launches in November 2022.

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