The latest report puts The Elder Scrolls 6 at a 2028 or 2029 release window, which puts it roughly two years past every reasonable optimistic estimate people were making three years ago. Bethesda’s own comments in the intervening months have not narrowed the gap. If you are one of the millions of people who have been counting on Bethesda to ship a new first-person open-world RPG on a somewhat predictable cadence, the Elder Scrolls 6 alternatives worth playing right now on desktop include some of the best RPGs of the last decade and one Skyrim total-conversion mod that is longer than most retail games.
Why the wait is real
- Bethesda is still shipping content for Starfield, and the studio has historically not run two massive open-world projects in parallel.
- Elder Scrolls 6 was announced in a 2018 teaser trailer and has appeared in essentially no public marketing since. That is not the signature of a project close to completion.
- The Fallout TV show and Fallout 76 refresh are consuming Bethesda’s non-Starfield capacity.
- Xbox’s 2026 layoffs hit Bethesda and other Xbox Games Studios teams, adding disruption that historically slows shipping timelines.
- Realistic estimate: don’t build your gaming calendar around it landing before 2028.
Quick comparison
| Game | Best for | Free plan | Starting price | Standout feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skyrim Special Edition | Modded Elder Scrolls now | No | $39.99 | 90,000+ mods |
| Baldur’s Gate 3 | Story-first party RPG | No | $59.99 | 100+ hours of C-tier reactivity |
| Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 | Medieval realism | No | $59.99 | First-person sandbox realism |
| The Witcher 3 GOTY | Story-driven open world | No | $39.99 | Best written RPG on desktop |
| Elden Ring | Open-world exploration | No | $59.99 | Punishing FromSoft depth |
| Enderal Forgotten Stories | Skyrim total conversion | Yes (Skyrim SE owners) | Free | Full-scale new RPG on Skyrim engine |
| Kenshi | Sandbox with no rails | No | $29.99 | Emergent stories, no main quest |
The 7 best Elder Scrolls 6 alternatives on desktop
Skyrim Special Edition, best for a modded Elder Scrolls right now
Skyrim Special Edition in 2026 is not the game that shipped in 2016. The Anniversary Edition adds Creation Club content, and the mod ecosystem now contains 90,000+ mods on Nexus and thousands on Bethesda’s Creation Kit. A single afternoon of installing SKSE, USSEP, and a graphics overhaul like Rudy ENB Cathedralist turns Skyrim into a game that visually holds up against 2026 releases.
Where it falls short: The core AI, quest logic, and character animations are ten-year-old technology. Mods can layer on top but cannot fully replace them.
Pricing:
- Skyrim Anniversary Edition: $39.99 (or upgrade from Special Edition for $19.99).
- Regular sales bring it under $10.
Platforms: Windows, macOS (via Whisky/Crossover), Linux (Proton).
Migrating from waiting for TES6: No migration. Install SE, get SKSE64 from silverlock.org, install Vortex or Mod Organizer 2, and start a modlist from Wabbajack.
Download: Skyrim on Steam | Skyrim on GOG
Bottom line: The default answer to “what should I play while waiting for TES6”.
Baldur’s Gate 3, best for story-first party RPG
Baldur’s Gate 3 is the RPG that raised the bar on story reactivity in 2023, and Larian Studios kept adding to it into 2025. Every major decision ripples through the whole game. Cast a mid-game spell that turns an NPC hostile and the fallout plays out five acts later. The 5e Dungeons and Dragons ruleset means combat is turn-based rather than first-person action.
Where it falls short: It is not first person and it is not sandbox. If those two things are what you want out of Elder Scrolls, this is a different genre. Play time to credits sits at 100 hours.
Pricing:
- Standard: $59.99.
- Deluxe: $79.99.
Platforms: Windows, macOS.
Download: Baldur’s Gate 3 on Steam | BG3 on GOG
Bottom line: Pick BG3 if choice-and-consequence storytelling is why you play Bethesda RPGs.
Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, best for medieval realism
Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 shipped in early 2025 and is the closest thing to a first-person medieval Elder Scrolls that exists. Real 15th century Bohemia, ground-level realism, deep systemic combat, and no fantasy layer. The scale doubled from the first game.
Where it falls short: Realism goes deep enough that some players bounce off it. Sword-and-sorcery this is not.
Pricing:
- Standard: $59.99.
- Gold Edition: $79.99.
Platforms: Windows.
Download: KCD 2 on Steam | KCD 2 on GOG
Bottom line: The closest first-person historical RPG to the Elder Scrolls formula on desktop.
The Witcher 3, best for story-driven open world
The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt: Game of the Year Edition is still the benchmark for a story-first open world a decade after release, and the 2022 next-gen upgrade brought it forward visually. Play time to complete the base game plus Blood and Wine expansion runs over 100 hours.
Where it falls short: Third-person only. Combat feels dated next to Elden Ring. You play Geralt, not a custom character.
Pricing:
- GOTY Edition: $39.99.
- Frequently discounted to $10-15.
Platforms: Windows, macOS (via Whisky).
Download: Witcher 3 on Steam | Witcher 3 on GOG
Bottom line: The right pick when story matters more than the first-person feel.
Elden Ring, best for open-world exploration
Elden Ring is what happens when FromSoftware puts Dark Souls in an open world. Exploration is uncompromising: no map markers, no quest highlighters, no glowing objectives. If you liked the “what is over that mountain” feeling from Skyrim’s first hour, Elden Ring gives you eighty of them.
Where it falls short: Difficulty is a real filter. Combat is not forgiving. The Shadow of the Erdtree DLC adds another 30 hours.
Pricing:
- Standard: $59.99.
- Shadow of the Erdtree DLC: $39.99.
Platforms: Windows.
Download: Elden Ring on Steam
Bottom line: Pick Elden Ring if exploration is the thing Bethesda RPGs give you that you cannot get elsewhere.
Enderal Forgotten Stories, best for a full new RPG on Skyrim’s engine
Enderal is a free total conversion mod for Skyrim: new continent, new lore, new voice-acted quests, new skill system. Steam recognizes it as its own installation, and the writing arguably surpasses Skyrim’s main quest. Play time runs 100+ hours through the main story and factions.
Where it falls short: Requires a Skyrim install to run (which is not free). Some of the mod’s design choices are more punishing than vanilla Skyrim.
Pricing: Free (with Skyrim ownership required).
Platforms: Windows, Linux (Proton).
Download: Enderal on Steam | Enderal on ModDB
Bottom line: The right pick for anyone who owns Skyrim and wants a complete new Elder Scrolls-flavored RPG.
Kenshi, best for a sandbox with no rails
Kenshi is what happens when the sandbox goes all the way. No main quest, no chosen one, no plot. You start as a starving nobody in a post-apocalyptic desert and build whatever life you can. Recruit a squad, run a bandit gang, become slavers, become slaves, build a fortress. The mod scene is enormous.
Where it falls short: The UI is punishing to new users. Isometric rather than first-person. Combat is real-time squad rather than character-controlled action.
Pricing:
- Standard: $29.99.
- Often discounted.
Platforms: Windows.
Download: Kenshi on Steam | Kenshi on GOG
Bottom line: Pick Kenshi if what you want from Bethesda is the sandbox freedom, not the main quest.
How to pick the right one
- If first-person open-world is non-negotiable: Skyrim Special Edition modded, or Kingdom Come Deliverance 2.
- If you can accept third-person or turn-based: Baldur’s Gate 3 or The Witcher 3.
- If exploration is what you love: Elden Ring.
- If you want a whole new RPG for free: Enderal.
- If you want the ultimate open-ended sandbox: Kenshi.
- If you have already played all of these: Starfield’s 2025 Shattered Space DLC or the Beyond Skyrim: Bruma mod are the next stops.
FAQ
When will Elder Scrolls 6 actually release?
A 2028 or 2029 window is the most recent leaked estimate. Bethesda has not committed publicly to any date.
Is Skyrim still worth playing in 2026?
Yes, especially with mods. A modern modlist visually competes with recent releases, and the base game holds up.
Are Skyrim mods still safe to install?
Yes. Nexus Mods and Bethesda’s Creation Kit are the two mainstream sources. Mod Organizer 2 or Vortex handle load orders cleanly.
Which of these has the best combat?
Elden Ring for demanding action combat. Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 for realism. Baldur’s Gate 3 for tactical turn-based.
Do any of these run on macOS or Linux?
Skyrim SE, Witcher 3, and Enderal run cleanly on Linux via Proton. macOS support varies; Whisky and Crossover handle most.
