What in the world is Bethesda doing? They are already swamped with projects, but new placeholder listings on Amazon may indicate that the Fallout and The Elder Scrolls developer has something up their sleeve. And while I wouldn't hold your breath that we are seeing a new project before E3, these leaks do have us wondering.
The news comes by way of deal-hunting Twitter page Wario64, who noticed the placeholders earlier this morning:
Looking deeper into each page's listing shows very little. There is no rating, no box art, the dates are all listed as December 31, 2019, and the three editions (Standard, Deluxe, and Collector's) all have the same price point. There are editions listed for PC, PS4, and Xbox One, hinting this is a current-generation release.
There was a brief glimpse of hope -- a teaser trailer was seen at the bottom of each page:
And while this may look like an introduction to a perhaps new Fallout tease, don't get your hopes up. Though it appears to have the emblem of a nuclear logo when "3" pops up, this is some free stock footage for a countdown that has been floating around on YouTube:
Though, who knows -- there is extra green-tint that may be pointing to a Fallout property. It is simply too early to tell.
It's also worth noting that Bethesda has been securing some trademarks for projects that have yet to be announced. In late-December, Bethesda's parent company ZeniMax Media filed a trademark for "DEATHLOOP" using Good and Service classifiers 009 (video games) and 041 (online games). So perhaps this is preparing for that eventual announcement?
Meanwhile, we also do know about other projects that don't seem to have corresponding Amazon pages. Though both Doom Eternal and Starfield have pages readily available, the teased The Elder Scrolls 6 doesn't have an Amazon page. Though I wouldn't consider holding your breath given the game was reportedly unveiled far in advance, the possibility is always there. Even more-so because there is a current legal battle over The Elder Scrolls term "REDFALL" after a trademark filing by ZeniMax:
While we are firmly in The Elder Scrolls: Blades' launch window, the game is a free-to-play mobile title (portable to consoles). The chance this is an Amazon listing for that seems incredibly far-fetched.
It's fascinating to see that Bethesda is possibly embracing new projects, especially when there are so many others that currently need triage. Following a sour launch of Fallout 76, Bethesda has been making moves to combat the stigma -- culminating in a new roadmap to support the game's continued development. In the wake of this, other projects like the ubiquitous The Elder Scrolls: Blades have been pushed past their original window.
This wouldn't be the first time Amazon listings have leaked unannounced or non-public information. For instance, we managed to get some brand-new information on THQ Nordic's Biomutant and Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (notably another Bethesda title) in previous leaks. That isn't even mentioning the massive E3 2018 Walmart leak for RAGE 2 that Bethesda and id Software just leaned into. It's also worth nothing that not every Amazon "leak" needs to be believed.
So who knows what Bethesda has in store -- this may be as innocuous as listings for The Elder Scrolls: Blades or a new game entirely. We will keep you updated on that information, though feel free to gamble and put in a pre-order for the game if you are so inclined.