As much as the hype forThe Elder Scrollsgames has gone up significantly with the surprise release ofOblivion Remastered, it seems still too soon to expect any majorThe Elder Scrolls 6news. It’s not out of the realm of possibilities thatThe Elder Scrolls 6will rear its head next year or in 2027, but a release seems quite far away, to the point that Bethesda may still have ample time to make changes to the current build based on the success ofOblivion Remastered. This may seem like a good thing, and while in some instances it may be,TES6should resist the temptation to bring backOblivion Remastered’s most broken spell.
There are many things thatOblivion Remastereddoes well, at times even better thanSkyrim, but it is also a fundamentally unbalanced game when it comes to magic. For example, while it’s generally described as one of the best features in the entire series,Oblivion Remastered’s spellcraftingis arguably game-breaking, as it can trivialize most content in the game with Fortify Attribute, custom spells that deal massive damage, and more. Yet, if there is one spell thatThe Elder Scrolls 6should not bring back, it’s Chameleon.
Oblivion Remastered’s Chameleon Would Break The Elder Scrolls 6 on Day One
100% Chameleon inOblivion Remasteredis essentially “easy mode” due to the way it works, as it grants the player the ability to go completely undetected even in combat, with enemies standing still or simply moving around with their weapons out, unable to identify the threat and counterattack. This is much stronger than invisibility effects, as they break upon performing actions, meaning that anything like opening doors, attacking, interacting with items, or even NPCs removes invisibility immediately. This is not true for Chameleon, and while any percentage below 100% is not as powerful, it’s still very problematic from a game balance point of view.
In Oblivion Remastered, players can also get Chameleon effects on gear, making the spell unnecessary with a full set.Oblivion Remastered’s Sigil Stonescan roll over 20% Chameleon, for example.
Skyrimremoved spellcrafting andChameleon spellsdespite their success inOblivion, but rightfully so. These are both elements that can make any accomplishment in the game feel less of an achievement and more like regular feats, as spellcrafting means that one can theoretically make the perfect spell for any need, and 100% Chameleon prevents the Hero of Kvatch from ever breaking stealth, even if they’re not crouched. Enemies can still hear players with 100% Chameleon, to the point that with few levels in Sneak, humanoid enemies will make comments about the noise they’re hearing, but still won’t see players.
The Elder Scrolls 6may be set in Hammerfell, most likely, with High Rock as a potential secondary or accompanying setting. With High Rock making court intrigue a key part of its lore, and with Hammerfell having bandits all over the Alik’r Desert, it would theoretically make sense to add Chameleon as a spell to the game, or at least some sort of similar effect.Skyrim’s Illusion spellsare both more balanced thanOblivion Remastered’s and more unique, so it would make sense to use the former as inspiration forTES6, but the latter’s success may sow the seed of doubt for Bethesda to consider bringing Chameleon back.
How The Elder Scrolls 6 Could Bring Chameleon Back Without Breaking The Game
The problem is that invisibility and effects adjacent to it have always been a thing in the series, soThe Elder Scrolls 6is all but confirmed to bring invisibility back, at the very least. Chameleon should either be left behind or be reworked considerably for it to work and not break the game, such as capping at 50%. Another fun thing could be to make theRing of Khajiiti fromOblivion Remasteredreturn inTES6, but make it the only source of Chameleon in the game, anywhere between 25% and 50%, but not include the actual Chameleon spell. It remains to be seen what Bethesda will do with its RPG, but it should try to strike a good balance between quirky effects and gameplay balance.
