Bethesda has officially confirmed what started as a rumor gleaned by an eagle-eyed Redditor from a quickly deleted FAQ: The Elder Scrolls Online will be delayed 6 months on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. The game launched for PC to a lukewarm reception in April and was originally slated for release on consoles in June.
The delay is reportedly due to unanticipated challenges in adapting the game to each platform’s particular quirks: “Integrating our systems with each console manufacturer’s networks—which are both different from the PC/Mac system as well as different from each other—has been a challenging process. It has become clear that our planned June release of the console versions isn’t going to be possible. Though we have made great progress, we have concluded that we’ll need about six months to ensure we deliver the experience our fans expect and deserve.”
In order to allay the anxieties of players eager to jump in, Bethesda, Sony, and Microsoft are offering a special deal to anyone that buys the PC version prior to the end of June. For only $20 additional dollars, owners of the PC version will be able to add a full digital copy of the game to either Xbox One or PS4, transferring their character and adding a bonus 30 days of game time. This will allow players to get a jump on leveling and gathering materials so that by the time the console launch comes around they’ll already be decked out in their full set of custom-crafted Daedric armor and ready to take on all comers.