Anticipation for The Elder Scrolls 6 is rising once again, mainly due to leaks about the game’s title being planned for announcement soon. Based on various rumors, the next game in the Bethesda open-world RPG series is going to be called The Elder Scrolls 6: Sentinel, at least according to reports from sources like The Verge. For many fans, this title evokes classic fantasy imagery of a stalwart knight or guard, but for veterans lore keepers of The Elder Scrolls franchise’s established history, this name means something far more significant.
Every Elder Scrolls game has painted its setting on its sleeve, at least within the Bethesda era established with The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind. Unsurprisingly, that game took place within the Dark Elf country of Morrowind, with The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim also putting players in the same nation as the title. With The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion being the only exception, the “Sentinel” moniker could point toward The Elder Scrolls 6 taking place in Hammerfell, the large region southwest of Skyrim that hasn’t been explored in a mainline series game yet.
For those who understand The Elder Scrolls series, they will know that Sentinel is not just a random name, but actually the capital of Hammerfell, a country within the larger continent of Tamriel. Skyrim is one northern region of Tamriel that hosted the human-like Nord people, while Morrowind was the eastern country primarily occupied by Dark Elves next to it. The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion took place in the center of Tamriel, Cyrodil, the heart of the Empire to reflect that game’s story. While some of the first Elder Scrolls games took place in the northwest area of High Rock and its capital Daggerfall, The Elder Scrolls 6 being in Hammerfell would be a first for the series.
Sentinel hosts all the dominant powers of Hammerfell, whose people have been something of a mystery throughout the franchise. There were some quests and NPCs in The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim that involved people from Hammerfell, including some of their most renowned warriors — the Redguard. The Elder Scrolls Online has far more details about all the regions in Tamriel, but since we do not know what timeline The Elder Scrolls 6 will take place in, all that information could be subject to change. The fortified port city of Hammerfell has incredibly high potential, being rumored in Elder Scrolls lore to be a magnificent settlement with a rich history.
The politics of Hammerfell set it up wonderfully for a new Elder Scrolls plot, with the country often embroiled in local conflicts much like Skyrim was. Within the nation, the loyalist and traditionalist Crowns faction often clashes with the progressive Forebears, with the former focused on honoring the legacies of Hammerfell’s founder. At the same time, the Forebears are more willing to accept change and initiate trade with outside nations like Cyrodil and Skyrim, adopting neighboring cultures to fix long-set problems caused by clinging on to the past. This could be one of several conflicts your character finds themselves in, with your choices helping to determine which side comes out on top.
Fan theories about Hammerfell being The Elder Scrolls 6‘s location have been circulating since a clue was found in Starfield, but this recent leak may all but confirm those rumors. Should Bethesda officially reveal the game’s title to be “Sentinel,” players have a lot to look forward to in terms of the game’s open-world. The signature sandbox map design of Bethesda to The Elder Scrolls could manifest in truly diverse landscapes, eliminating Skyrim‘s dull gray, white, and blue color scheme in favor of something more vibrant. The biggest environmental landmark of Hammerfell is its sprawling Alik’rx Desert, a huge region of sand that could lead to inspired visuals.
In addition to the deserts, Hammerfell has several beaches, which you might be able to see in the earliest teaser for The Elder Scrolls 6 somewhat. The varied terrain between verdant shores of blue and green and the orange/red desert gives Hammerfell a vibrancy the series hasn’t been able to present in many years. With the Redguards of Hammerfell themselves being descendants of refugees from the sunken continent of Yokuda, the fierce warrior culture of the land could be shown by the unified, almost militaristic structures built from the resource-rich earth of the country. From the Iliac Bay to tropical grasslands and rugged areas like the Dragontail Mountaints, Hammerfell is full of potential.
Then there is Sentinel itself, which could be an urban environment that puts all other Elder Scrolls cities to shame. Perhaps harsher weather systems for the extreme heat of Hammerfell’s desert could be implemented, to further enhance the player’s sense of immersion in this strange, new region. Should The Elder Scrolls 6 fully embrace Hammerfell with its rumored Sentinel title, this game could rival the best entries in the series from its premise alone.
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