Skyrim Anniversary Edition is upon us, and it is part of Bethesda’s unending effort to put Skyrim on every single platform. The developer has even gone so far as to joke that Skyrim would be released on a smart fridge in a previous joke announcement.
This month, Skyrim Anniversary Edition will come out on the PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series platforms with a host of updates and content additions to bring it somewhat up to par with contemporary offerings. It is being released as part of Skyrim’s 10th anniversary celebrations. Yes, the game really is that old.
Bethesda, which is calling the Anniversary Edition the “most definitive version of Skyrim to date,” leaves open the possibility that it could very well develop another version of Skyrim in the distant future, long after Fallout 5 and Starfield are released.
Regardless, here’s everything you need to know about the Skyrim Anniversary Edition.
When is it coming out?
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim Anniversary Edition is planned for a November 11, 2021 release, ten years after its original release in 2011. It is a marked improvement from the Skyrim Special Edition released in 2016, with a host of new features.
How much does it cost, and where can I buy it?
Skyrim Anniversary Edition costs $49.99 if you are buying it as a standalone title. However, if you already own the Special Edition of the game, you can simply upgrade it to the Anniversary Edition for $19.99.
What does the Skyrim Anniversary Edition add?
As previously noted, the Anniversary Edition has more contents than the previously released Special Edition. Designed to be somewhat like the Game of the Year version of 2016’s Special Edition, Skyrim AE contains all previously released expansion packs, including Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and Dragonborn. It also includes 48 previously released Creation Club items and 26 brand new Creation Club items to enable in the game.
Unlike the Special Edition release, the Creation Club items are baked directly into the game so you don’t have to deal with dozens of popup spam at the start of a brand new playthrough.
The Skyrim AE will come with some next-gen upgrades. However, it is unclear as to exactly what this means for PC players. Console players, however, can expect to play the game at 60 frames per second on the PS5 and Xbox Series consoles.
- Skyrim Special Edition
- Skyrim’s original DLCs: Dawnguard, Hearthfire and Dragonborn
- Next-gen improvements for Skyrim SE
- All 48 previously released Creation Club items
- 26 new Creation Club items
As for the Creation Club items include themed weapons and armor and add-ons developed either in-house by Bethesda or by modders working with the company. The add-ons include quest expansions, new enemy types, and gameplay changes.
Notably, Bethesda states that players who do not want to upgrade to the Anniversary Edition can still download some of these items for free on the Creation Club if they own the Special Edition, including the Saints and Seducers questline, Rare Curious add-on, Survival Mode, and the Fishing mod.
What will happen to your existing mods?
Well, they’ll probably break. Until the game’s thankfully vibrant modding community patches existing add-ons and alterations to the game, you won’t be able to use your existing mods for Skyrim Special Edition. Remember to turn off auto-updates if you’re playing the game on Steam and you won’t break your save files.
