Fallout 4 Announcement Email Is A Hoax, Skyrim Isn't Coming To Xbox One And PS4

Sorry to burst everyone's bubble, but Bethesda isn't about to announce Xbox One and PS4 versions of Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. They're also not making a Fallout 4 announcement in five days.

RPG fans were driven into a frenzy last night by two separate reports. The first was an email allegedly sent by Bethesda that teased an announcement on "12.01.2014" - which is January 12th in European date format and December 1st in American format. The message was written in a Fallout-style font. Many people assumed that this was the day that Bethesda would at long last announce Fallout 4.

Unfortunately, the email wasn't actually from Bethesda. Pete Hines, vice president of PR and marketing for Bethesda, told Gaming Blend via email that it's another hoax. He then explained on Twitter why the email seemed to have come from store@bethsoft.com:

This incident is just the latest in a string of hoaxes surrounding Fallout 4. A month ago, a fake website called TheSurvivor2299.com garnered international media attention before it was debunked by Bethesda. At the time, Bethesda said that they would call out hoaxes quicker. Their response to the fake email certainly was prompt.

The other rumor making the rounds last night was that Bethesda was making next-gen versions of Skyrim. NeoGAF users noticed that the official Skyrim website mentioned that the game was available on Xbox One and PS4. This, like the email, began a lot of speculation. Was Bethesda going to release their open-world RPG with better visuals on the next-gen platforms? Would they include DLC and the best mods as well?

Nope. Hines says that Xbox One and PS4 were listed under Skyrim by accident.

It's believable that Bethesda would make a next-gen version of Skyrim. The game was a huge hit and I'm sure a non-trivial amount of players would be happy to get a shinier version for their new console. The studio's never said that they would release a remake, though, so it's all just fantasy at this point.

Fallout 4 seems to be real thanks to leaked casting documents. The game is said to be set in Boston, home to the Commonwealth. The main character wakes up from a cryogenic sleep at the beginning of the campaign. Bethesda has yet to announce anything though, so treat any mysterious sites or leaks or emails with suspicion.