Ever since the release of Bethesda’s cryptic teaser trailer for Elder Scrolls VI at E3, fans of the series have been speculating about the setting. Hammerfell has been the strongest suggestion thus far. While a hoaxer did use the theory to troll fans online; new analysis done by fans has made the Hammerfell theory for the Elder Scrolls VI setting even stronger.

The Elder Scrolls VI Setting

Recently, reddit user kaylenivy used professional photography software to analyse the E3 teaser trailer. By analysing the layout of the coastline, ocean, and other details, they believe that they have found the location it depicts; namely, the Iliac Bay. This small region is located on the coast between the provinces of Hammerfell and High Rock. When asked whether fans might figure out the location during E3, Todd Howard did state that there were clues included within the trailer. It may be that fans have now pieced them together.

Hammerfell was always a strong contender for the Elder Scrolls VI setting, even before the announcement trailer. The province fought the Aldmeri Dominion to a standstill after splitting from the Empire, and is currently in a state of uneasy peace. Elements of the region are still under Aldmeri occupation. Given that the events of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim appeared to set up the Dominion as the next game’s villains, Hammerfell always seemed to be a logical setting; a province likely to be on the front lines of the next war. Iliac Bay certainly fits that setting. However, kaylenivy also claimed that the ruined structure which features in the trailer is the city of Volenfell. This claim is a lot less likely.

Volenfell, as commenters on Reddit point out, appeared in The Elder Scrolls Online. In that game, the city is clearly much more than a single ruined castle. The city is also not that close to Iliac Bay; it’s found much further inland. However, while that guess might be less likely, the guess that the trailer depicts Iliac Bay is a very strong theory. Fans may have to wait a while before anything is revealed, however; Bethesda needs to release both Fallout 76 and Starfield before the Elder Scrolls VI.