The Elder Scrolls 6 is definitely up there with GTA 6 when it comes to the most eagerly awaited games. Yet, despite more than seven years since its reveal trailer dropped, we’re still left in the dark about a lot of details. That said, Bethesda director and executive producer Todd Howard recently shared one of the few concrete insights regarding the game, and even if it might not carry much weight in the grand scheme of things, it’s intriguing nonetheless.
In a captivating video by content creator Any Austin, the ever-burning question many of us have pondered for nearly 15 years is finally addressed: “How many trees are there in Skyrim?” Skyrim’s vast landscape is filled with towering pine trees, but just how many are scattered across Tamriel? The figure is an astonishing 46,430 trees—if you were curious. Austin arrived at this number “by traversing the world, conducting real statistical surveys, and delving into the game files,” doing so without mods or wikis. Also, in a fun twist, he got Todd Howard to take a crack at the question as well, though his guess turned out to be hilariously off the mark.
Howard boldly estimated there to be 111,111 trees—a nod, of course, to the game’s launch in 2011. Even more compelling was his response to the follow-up query: “Will The Elder Scrolls 6 have more trees than Skyrim, or fewer?” His emphatic reply? “More… most definitely, more.”
Sure, this might not mean a whole lot in the ultimate analysis, but let’s indulge in a little speculative fun and entertain some wild theories about what, if anything, Howard might be suggesting here. The simplest assumption could be that he’s implying The Elder Scrolls 6 will be significantly larger than Skyrim, which would naturally lead to a greater number of trees—no matter the terrain type. If we take this train of thought further, it seems safe to conclude that The Elder Scrolls 6 won’t be set in a desert region, unless we’re counting cacti as trees, which seems highly improbable.
Now, if you want to dive deep into some serious conspiracy theory territory, feel free to start theorizing which part of Tamriel The Elder Scrolls 6 might be set in. Personally, I’m banking on Valenwood. According to the unofficial Elder Scrolls wiki, Valenwood is described as “a densely forested, sub-tropical region that covers the southwestern coastal plain of Tamriel.” The wiki cites A Pocket Guide to the Empire, which vividly describes Valenwood as “a sea of endless green, a maze of foliage with half-hidden cities growing like blooms from a flower, home to the Bosmer, Tamriel’s garden.” It also mentions “gigantic, migratory trees” so massive that entire cities are constructed within their sprawling branches.
Now, imagine if Valenwood emerges as a key location in The Elder Scrolls 6. It would make Howard’s remarks—especially his emphatic assertion of there being “most definitely” more trees in the game than Skyrim—seem even more relevant. But does that really increase the likelihood of Valenwood being more integral to The Elder Scrolls 6 than any other area in Tamriel? It’s up for debate, but it’s certainly fun to speculate.
Todd Howard reiterated that Elder Scrolls 6 is “progressing really well” and noted that “the majority of the studio” is dedicated to developing the much-anticipated successor to Skyrim, saying, “We have long pre-productions on things so that we feel good about them.”