Bethesda had its press conference on June 12, and just like last year's, it surpassed all expectations, with announcements such as brand-new Doom DLC and Dishonored 2.
However, one of the highlights of the conference was for a game that's actually several years old now - The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
During the conference, Bethesda revealed that Skyrim would be getting a brand-new iteration, called Skyrim: Special Edition, which more or less confirmed pre-existing rumors that surfaced a few days before the event. The game, which will be coming to current-gen consoles this October, will be getting overhauled for newer hardware, including remastered lighting and effects, as well as all DLC.
Even with all those new features added in, the best part of the news was the fact that Skyrim: Special Edition will be getting mod support, just like with Fallout 4. With that single addition, the game has been given a new breath of life on consoles, which could have an effect on the Elder Scrolls series will go in the future.
Why? Because even though Skyrim turns 5 this year, the game is still immensely popular among fans on both consoles and PC. More recent Elder Scrolls games have this rare property of being able to be played for vast periods of time without getting stale and Skyrim is no different. This isn't like with other games, where replayablity only comes in the form of new difficulties, challenge runs or a new character either. It's not uncommon for players to spend nearly 200+ hours on the game (with a single character) - now imagine those numbers when that player has multiple files.
That number applies across all platforms, but PC players always had one advantage that console players never had access to: mods.
Mods add new levels of replayability to any game, and open-world RPGs like Skyrim get the most benefit out of them. The modding community is thriving, producing an assortment of mods that drastically affect how one is able to experience the game thereafter.
For example, there was one recent mod, which took three years to complete, that revamped all the existing settlements and holds by adding things such as city walls, houses and even shops. In addition, there were even two new settlements thrown into the mix: Black Moor and Amber Guard.
With mods like that coming to consoles now, the game is getting brand-new life, and with that life comes an important question: does Bethesda need to worry about the rumored Elder Scrolls VI now?
Yes, it's a rumor still, but there's no reason Bethesda wouldn't be open to making a new Elder Scrolls at some point in the future. However, one of the strongest reasons for making a new game in the series - the predecessor's age - is not necessarily a factor now that mods are available across all platforms, which could change up the game drastically in a variety of ways (granted some current mods might not be compatible on consoles).
Indeed it would be cool for players to finally be able to have a game dedicated to Argonia or Elsweyr entirely, but Skyrim: Special Edition now gives players (on the console in particular) a chance to explore Skyrim in brand-new ways, while the modding community can continue doing what it does best and produce content for every platform.
Again, mod support breathes new life into Skyrim, so maybe it would be best for Bethesda to allow the game to fully run its course, rather than give it an impromptu end by coming out with a new title, however far off that may be.
