Bethesda will stop rereleasing Skyrim when you stop buying it

Bethesda will end rereleasing Skyrim when you end buying it

(Image credit: Bethesda)

To celebrate the game's 10th ceremony, Bethesda volition release The Elderberry Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition on November 11. This volition mark the 4th time that Bethesda has rereleased Skyrim since its initial debut in 2011, and volition mean that eight consoles fully support the game.

At this point, information technology's hard to believe that anyone who wants to play Skyrim hasn't yet, particularly since information technology'due south hands bachelor through subscription services like Xbox Game Pass. And nevertheless, Bethesda has made it clear that it will continue rereleasing Skyrim as long every bit players keep buying information technology.

Skyrim's huge mod scene makes my expect for The Elderberry Scrolls half-dozen less painful
Play the best Xbox Game Pass games
Plus: The Skryim mod that makes the game unplayable simply got killed

First and foremost, if you desire to larn more than most Skyrim Anniversary Edition, you can follow its ongoing QuakeCon stream on Twitch. That's where we kickoff heard about Skyrim's latest update, although the official PlayStation Blog has also provided the information in an easily digestible format.

Basically, Skyrim Ceremony Edition will optimize the game for Xbox Series Ten/S and PS5 consoles, while bunding all existing DLC and adding 500 pieces of "Creation Club" content. These are fan mods that Bethesda liked plenty to include in an official version of the game.

If you already ain the Skyrim Special Edition, these upgrades will exist free; if non, Bethesda hasn't nevertheless revealed the full game's cost. If you don't have a next-gen console, you'll also be able to buy Skyrim Anniversary Edition on PC, PS4 or Xbox 1. (No word on the Switch version yet — or the Alexa skill.)

It'south likewise worth noting that while Skyrim isn't optimized for either the PS5 or Xbox Series 10/S now, it'due south perfectly playable on both, thanks to backwards compatibility. While it may seem strange for Bethesda to put time and effort into rereleasing a game that'southward then easy to play on modern consoles, the explanation is very simple — and it comes straight from the director of Bethesda.

In 2018, Elder Scrolls fans wanted to know why the company put so much effort into Skyrim, which was already seven years old at the time. Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, Bethesda manager Todd Howard summed it up simply:

"Millions of people every month are playing that game," Howard said. "That's why nosotros go on releasing it. If y'all want united states of america to stop releasing it, finish ownership information technology."

Going past Steam stats, Skyrim isn't quite as popular today as it was in 2018, but it's nevertheless doing remarkably well for a 10-year-old single-player game. The game had about fifteen,000 players per calendar week two years ago vs. 10,000 players per calendar week today — and that's non counting consoles, which may have received a big influx of Skyrim players when the game joined Xbox Game Pass.

In other words, unless Bethesda'due south operating principles have completely changed in the last ii years, it's re-releasing Skyrim because people are still playing information technology. That'southward the reason it re-released Skyrim in 2017; that'south the reason it re-released Skyrim in 2016; that's the reason it'south tried to proceed the game fresh with a drip-feed of content and improvements for a whole decade.

You, personally, may or may not buy the Skyrim Anniversary Edition. Only statistically speaking, a lot of people will. And that's why we volition probably be seeing small Skyrim updates until The Elder Scrolls half dozen finally comes out.

More: Everything nosotros know nearly competitive shooter Splitgate

Marshall Honorof is a senior editor for Tom'southward Guide, overseeing the site's coverage of gaming hardware and software. He comes from a scientific discipline writing background, having studied paleomammalogy, biological anthropology, and the history of science and technology. After hours, yous can discover him practicing taekwondo or doing deep dives on archetype sci-fi.