The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim’s titular setting helped to establish a unique identity for the popular RPG.Skyrim’s alpine locale and the Scandinavian-inspired culture of its inhabiting Nords combine to create a consistent vision for the world. This vision can be sensed in both the aesthetic and lore of the game, which helps to create a believable world for the player to explore. As memorable as the province of Skyrim is, it has a notable flaw that its sequel’s rumored setting could easily improve upon.
With so few details regardingThe Elder Scrolls 6made public, fans have gone back and forth theorizing about different aspects of the game. This includes whereThe Elder Scrolls 6will take place. Tamriel is made up of many culturally unique provinces that could all benefit from a current-generation, mainline entry in the series. However, multiple rumors have already indicated thatThe Elder Scrolls 6might be set in Hammerfell. If true, this next game’s open world could raise the bar forThe Elder Scrollsseries.
What Hammerfell Brings to the Table
Skyrim’s setting is an iconic one that lends itself well to the game’s narrative. That said, it isn’t always the most intriguing open world to explore. Being in the northernmostregion of Tamriel, Skyrim’s biomes primarily consist of snowy mountains, pine forests, and rocky coastline. Bethesda did a great job at varying the settlements and enemies located in each section of the map, but the environment itself can feel one-note after hours of exploration. This is whereThe Elder Scrolls 6’s rumored Hammerfell setting has the opportunity to swoop in and immediately wow players.
Located to the southwest of Skyrim, the vast province of Hammerfell is the original homeland of theRedguards. Certain regions of Hammerfell have been explorable inThe Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard,The Elder Scrolls 2: Daggerfall, and most recentlyThe Elder Scrolls Online. Hammerfell’s defining biome is the vast Alik’r Desert. Going from frigid mountain ranges to a vast desert would already be enough to differentiateThe Elder Scrolls 6fromSkyrim. However, despite many common assumptions about the province, Hammerfell’s map has far more to offer than sand and rocks.
The Different Regions of Hammerfell
While Hammerfell’s lastappearance inThe Elder Scrolls Onlinemainly confined players to the Alik’r Desert and coastal regions like Hew’s Bane, the province’s geography inThe Elder Scrollslore is much more diverse. Besides the aforementioned biomes, Hammerfell is composed of mountains, jungles, grasslands, and forests. Having a map with this many contrasting areas would makeThe Elder Scrolls 6a huge draw for fans of the series and anyone who was grabbed bySkyrim’s setting.
Being able to travel through deserts, jungles, and mountain chains all in one game without needing any DLC or mod additions would makeThe Elder Scrolls 6incredibly engaging to explore. Though the settings in mainline entries ofThe Elder Scrollshave featured unique subcultures and distinct lore from region to region, having noticeable aesthetic changes would make those differences all the more palpable. Exploration has always been akey aspect of Bethesda’s RPGs, and players would feel more motivated to delve into every nook and cranny of the map if each one didn’t feel copied and pasted.
Hammerfell’s Appeal Over Skyrim
WithSkyrim’s minimal number of biomes and limited color palette, many of the game’s forests and dungeons eventually begin to blend together in players' minds. Having plants and architectural styles carry over from one corner of a province to the other makes the setting feel more convincing as a place that could actually exist, but this is fantasy, after all. Some players may want a map that is visually striking or simply more diverse across the board.The Elder Scrolls 6distancing itself fromSkyrim’s visual homogeneity by staking its flag in Hammerfell would give this next entry an immediate leg up.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
WHERE TO PLAY
Winner of more than 200 Game of the Year Awards, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim celebrates 10 years of adventuring in stunning detail. The Anniversary Edition includes a decade worth of content: the critically acclaimed core game and add-ons of Skyrim Special Edition, plus Creation Club content released on or prior to June 16, 2025.EPIC FANTASY REBORNSkyrim reimagines and revolutionizes the open-world fantasy epic, bringing to life a complete virtual world open for you to explore any way you choose.LIVE ANOTHER LIFE, IN ANOTHER WORLDPlay any type of character you can imagine, and do whatever you want; the legendary freedom of choice, storytelling, and adventure of The Elder Scrolls is realized like never before.YOU ARE WHAT YOU PLAYChoose from hundreds of weapons, spells, and abilities. The new character system allows you to play any way you want and define yourself through your actions.BATTLE DRAGONSBattle ancient dragons like you’ve never seen. As Dragonborn, learn their secrets and harness their power for yourself.
