The Elder Scrolls 6 is a long, long ways off yet, which is something that Bethesda have made abundantly clear on multiple occasions. But though it’s going to be some time before we hear anything concrete about the game (it’s not going to be at Bethesda’s E3 show this year either), the developers still gave us a teeny-tiny taste of the technical upgrades they’re making to their engine for the upcoming RPG.
At their PAX East panel for The Elder Scrolls’ 25th anniversary celebrations, Bethesda showed off behind-the-scenes glimpses of facial capture and photogrammetry being made use of for The Elder Scrolls 6- none of that is new tech for the industry by a long shot, of course, but both represent a step forward for The Elder Scrolls 6. The facial capture especially – which was shown in action to capture the likeness of the popular member of the Skyrim community known as Skyrim Grandma (who’s being immortalized as an NPC in The Elder Scrolls 6) – looks particularly impressive.
Of course, it goes without saying that what’s been teased in this video shouldn’t be representative of how the final game will end up looking. Landscapes and faces being scanned don’t make it into the final game 1:1, and what we’re seeing here is raw data that will be going through several changes in the process that sees it being inserted into the game. Even still, it represents a positive step forward for the series, which is good to see.
The Elder Scrolls 6 might also be getting one step closer to having its subtitle cemented, as part of ZeniMax looking to resolve legal dispute regarding the same. Meanwhile, if you’re thirsting for more new Elder Scrolls stuff, The Elder Scrolls: Blades recently entered early access on iOS and Android.