Avowed's Firearms: The Innovation Elder Scrolls 6 Should Steal

As a professional gamer who's spent countless hours exploring every corner of Tamriel, I gotta say—when Avowed dropped, it got me thinking. Here we are in 2026, with The Elder Scrolls 6 still on the distant horizon, and this newcomer from Obsidian comes along and shakes up the fantasy RPG formula in a way that feels both familiar and fresh. It's like watching a talented new band cover your favorite song but adding a killer guitar solo you never knew you needed. The comparisons to Skyrim were inevitable, and honestly, they're flattering. Avowed doesn't just walk in Bethesda's shadow; it brings its own lantern, illuminating some paths the next Elder Scrolls might want to follow.

The Usual Suspects, Plus a Bang

Let's talk loadouts. Avowed gives you everything you'd expect from a top-tier fantasy RPG:

• Melee Mayhem: Swords, maces, warhammers—check.

• Ranged Classics: Bows for the traditionalists—check.

• Arcane Arsenal: Wands and grimoires for spell-slinging—check.

But then, it throws in the curveball: firearms. We're not talking modern assault rifles, mind you, but two distinct categories that feel perfectly at home in a magical world:

Weapon Type	Description	Feel in Combat
Pistols	One-handed, quicker to ready	Snappy, duelist-style
Arquebuses	Two-handed, heavier hitting	Powerful but slow, like a portable cannon

On their own? They're solid. The damage is satisfying—chunk, right through an enemy's guard. But, and this is a big but, that reload speed... oof. It can really kill your momentum in a heated fight. You're in the zone, everything's flowing, and then you're stuck fumbling with powder and shot for what feels like an eternity. It's a trade-off, for sure.

Where the Magic (and Gunpowder) Really Happens

This is where Avowed gets clever. The real genius isn't the guns themselves; it's how they play with everything else in your toolkit. It's all about the combos. Swapping from a sword slash to a point-blank pistol shot makes you feel like a swashbuckling pirate from a dimension that never was. One second you're parrying, the next—BAM!—your opponent is staggering backward, smoke curling from a new hole in their armor.

Even more interesting is the spell-slinger setup. Picture this: you're channeling a frost spell from your grimoire to slow a charging beast, then you quick-draw your pistol to finish it off. You're not just a mage or a mercenary; you're a battlefield hybrid, a sorcerer-for-hire who isn't afraid to get practical. It adds a layer of tactical flair and role-playing depth that pure fantasy sometimes misses. It's that little bit of spice, you know?

The Tamrielian Gunpowder Debate

Now, bringing this idea to The Elder Scrolls 6? That's where the community chat gets lively. The lore purists will rightly point out: we've never seen a proper gun in Tamriel. But the ingredients? They've been sitting on the shelf for ages.

Let's break down the evidence:

• Morrowind (Tribunal): Dwemer satchel charges. Basically fantasy C4.

• Skyrim (Dawnguard): Explosive crossbow bolt schematics. Gunpowder-adjacent!

• The Elder Scrolls Online: Quest-based explosive traps. The knowledge is there.

• Daggerfall Lore Books: Mentions of cannons. So the concept of projectile artillery exists in the world's history.

The foundation is literally explosive. The leap from a handheld cannon or a complex alchemical explosive to a rudimentary handgonne or matchlock arquebus isn't a lore-breaking jump; it's a logical, in-world technological evolution. Sure, a master wizard can hurl a fireball that makes a bullet look like a pebble. But not every hero is an archmage. Sometimes, you just need a reliable, point-and-click solution that doesn't drain your magicka.

A Blueprint for TES6

So, how could Bethesda make this work without breaking the immersion they're famous for? It's all in the presentation and integration.

First, the lore explanation could be seamless. Maybe the Dwemer, those genius, missing dwarves, had early prototypes that are now being reverse-engineered by the Smithing Guilds of Hammerfell or High Rock. Perhaps it's a new invention from the Mages Guild, blending alchemy and enchantment to create "spark-powder" weapons. The story writes itself.

Second, balance them like Avowed does—make them powerful but with a meaningful drawback. Slow reloads, expensive ammunition, loud noise that attracts more enemies. They should be a tool in the toolbox, not the only tool.

Finally, and most importantly, embrace the hybrid playstyle. The joy isn't in making a pure gunslinger; it's in creating:

• The Spellshot: A mage who uses a pistol to deliver touch-range spells or finish off weakened foes.

• The Knight-Fusilier: A heavy-armor warrior who uses a brace of pistols to break enemy defenses before closing in.

• The Archaeologist-Adventurer: A character specializing in Dwemer tech, using reclaimed firearms as their signature.

In 2026, players expect depth and choice. Avowed showed that the classic fantasy RPG recipe can still surprise us. For The Elder Scrolls 6 to truly feel like a next-generation step forward, it shouldn't just look back at Skyrim. It should look around at what's working now—and frankly, the satisfying click-bang of a well-timed pistol shot in a fantasy world is working beautifully. It’s a small change that could make the familiar sands of Tamriel feel thrillingly new again. Sometimes, the best way to honor a legacy is to add a new verse.