User blog comment:IceFireWarden0/Elder Scrolls VI- An Analysis/@comment-123.100.124.146-20130725090412

I thought the Thalmor expelled all non-Altmer out of the Summerset Isles. That wouldn't be very good for racial diversity. Black Marsh also has that problem - to a lesser extent, but still enough to make it an unlikely choice in my opinion.

What about Valenwood? Despite the fact that its tribal culture might resemble Skyrim's, I think it's probably pretty likely that the new game is set there. And if Bethesda was worried about provinces with similar cultures/environments to Skyrim, then Hammerfell might not look that great, especially considering how much both Nords and Redguards hate magic and the mage class in general.