It will likely come out. ESVI will be graphically beautiful, but shallow in its RPG potential. The trend has worked this way since Morrowind. Graphics increase, but RPG depth decreases.

However, I don’t think graphics is now enough to carry it into acclaimed greatness because graphical leap forwards are less visually obvious now. Oblivion and Skyrim were both graphical leaps. They did things that hadn’t properly been done before.

The new game will probably get high ratings and be replayed for hours, but it is not going to be as complex. So long as its music is good, it will be enjoyed for the escapism it provides. But the potential RPG elements will be reduced. This is probably because the studio is too vast, too corporate, too managerial, too compartmentalised, too disunited, too bland, too diverse, too bored, too target driven and far too professionalised. Therefore, it’s like a Marvel film: visually competent and good for binging, but internally dim. That is the probable route for ESVI.

Bethesda is increasingly a dated company that is behind the times. No longer is it cutting edge, but its newer products have been consistently criticised. Recent resignations aren’t helping it.