List of The Elder Scrolls video games

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The Elder Scrolls is an action role-playing open world video game series developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. The Elder Scrolls games take place in the fictional world of Nirn, on the continent of Tamriel. The first game, The Elder Scrolls: Arena , was released in 1994. It was intended for players to assume the role of an arena combatant, but development shifted the game into a role-playing game (RPG), beginning a tradition that persists throughout the series' history. [1] The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall was published in 1996, and it featured one of the first true 3D worlds on a large scale, with a game world claimed to be the size of Great Britain. [2] The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind , released in 2002, saw a return to the old-style expansive and non-linear gameplay, and a shift towards individually detailed landscapes, with a smaller game world than past titles. [3] The game sold over four million units by mid-2005. [4] Two expansions were released between 2002 and 2003: Tribunal and Bloodmoon .

Contents

Development of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion began in 2002, and focused on artificial intelligence improvements that interact dynamically with the game world. [5] Released in 2006, the game achieved commercial success and critical acclaim; expansion packs Knights of the Nine and Shivering Isles were released for the game. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim followed in November 2011 to critical acclaim. The game is not a direct sequel to its predecessor, Oblivion, but instead takes place 200 years later, in Tamriel's land of Skyrim. Three expansion sets, Dawnguard , Dragonborn and Hearthfire , have been released. The Elder Scrolls Online , a massively multiplayer role-playing video game developed by ZeniMax Online Studios, was announced on May 3, 2012. [6] The game is the first open-ended multiplayer installment of the franchise, and most of the continent of Tamriel is playable in the game. The Elder Scrolls Online had been in development for 5 years prior to its announcement and was released on April 4, 2014. [6]

Video games

Key
Blank cell indicates title was not released on any platform(s) by the specified manufacturers
Cell with games console(s) indicates title was released on platform(s) by the specified manufacturers

Main games

List of The Elder Scrolls main video games
TitleRelease detailsPlatform(s)
Microsoft Sony Other
The Elder Scrolls: Arena [7] DOS
The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall [8]
  • Genre: Action role-playing
  • Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
  • Release date: August 31, 1996
 DOS
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind [9]
  • Genre: Action role-playing
  • Publishers:
    • Bethesda Softworks
    • Ubisoft (Europe)
  • Release dates:
    • Windows: May 2, 2002
    • Xbox: June 6, 2002
 Windows
Xbox
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion [10]
  • Genre: Action role-playing
  • Publishers:
  • Release dates:
    • Mobile: May 2, 2006
    • PlayStation 3: March 20, 2007
    • Windows: March 20, 2006
    • Xbox 360: March 20, 2006
 Windows
Xbox 360 		PlayStation 3 Mobile [lower-alpha 1]
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim [11]
  • Genre: Action role-playing
  • Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
  • Release dates:
    • Windows: November 11, 2011
    • Xbox 360: November 11, 2011
    • PlayStation 3: November 11, 2011
  • Special Edition
    • Playstation 4: October 26, 2016
    • Xbox One: October 26, 2016
    • Nintendo Switch: November 17, 2017
    • PlayStation VR: November 17, 2017
  • Anniversary Edition
    • PlayStation 5: November 11, 2021
    • Xbox Series X and Series S: November 11, 2021
 Windows
Xbox 360
Xbox One
Xbox Series X and Series S 		PlayStation 3
PlayStation 4
PlayStation 5 		Nintendo Switch
The Elder Scrolls VI [12]
  • Genre: Unknown (Presumably action role-playing)
  • Publisher:
  • Release date: TBA

Expansions and other games

List of The Elder Scrolls expansions and other games
TitleRelease detailsPlatform(s)
Microsoft Sony Other
An Elder Scrolls Legend: Battlespire [13]
  • Genre: Action role-playing
  • Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
  • Release date: November 30, 1997
DOS
The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard [14]
  • Genre: Action role-playing
  • Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
  • Release date: October 31, 1998
DOS
The Elder Scrolls III: Tribunal [15]
  • Genre: Action role-playing
  • Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
  • Release date: November 8, 2002
Windows
Xbox [lower-alpha 2]
The Elder Scrolls Travels: Stormhold [16]
  • Genre: Action role-playing
  • Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
  • Release date: August 1, 2003
Mobile
The Elder Scrolls III: Bloodmoon [17]
  • Genre: Action role-playing
  • Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
  • Release date: June 4, 2003
Windows
Xbox [lower-alpha 2]
The Elder Scrolls Travels: Dawnstar [18]
  • Genre: Action role-playing
  • Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
  • Release date: 2004
Mobile
The Elder Scrolls Travels: Shadowkey [19]
  • Genre: Action role-playing
  • Publishers:
    • Vir2L Studios
    • TKO Software
  • Release date: November 11, 2004
Mobile [lower-alpha 3]
The Elder Scrolls IV: Knights of the Nine [20]
  • Genre: Action role-playing
  • Publishers:
    • Bethesda Softworks
    • Ubisoft (Europe)
  • Release date: November 21, 2006
Windows
Xbox 360 [lower-alpha 4] 		PlayStation 3
The Elder Scrolls IV: Shivering Isles [22]
  • Genre: Action role-playing
  • Publishers:
    • Bethesda Softworks
    • 2K Games
  • Release dates:
    • PlayStation 3: December 8, 2007
    • Windows: March 26, 2007
    • Xbox 360 (digital): March 26, 2007
    • Xbox 360 (retail): October 16, 2007
Windows
Xbox 360		PlayStation 3
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Dawnguard [23]
  • Genre: Action role-playing
  • Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
  • Release dates:
    • PlayStation 3: February 26, 2013
    • PlayStation 4: November 21, 2016
    • Windows: August 2, 2012
    • Xbox 360: June 26, 2012
Windows
Xbox 360		PlayStation 3
Playstation 4		Nintendo Switch
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Hearthfire
  • Genre: Action role-playing
  • Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
  • Release dates:
    • PlayStation 3: February 19, 2013
    • PlayStation 4: November 21, 2016
    • Windows: October 5, 2012
    • Xbox 360: September 4, 2012
Windows
Xbox 360		PlayStation 3
PlayStation 4		Nintendo Switch
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Dragonborn [24]
  • Genre: Action role-playing
  • Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
  • Release dates:
    • PlayStation 3: February 12, 2013
    • PlayStation 4: November 21, 2016
    • Windows: February 5, 2013
    • Xbox 360: December 4, 2012
Windows
Xbox 360		PlayStation 3
PlayStation 4		Nintendo Switch
The Elder Scrolls Online [6]
  • Genre: Action role-playing
  • Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
  • Release date:
    • Windows, OS X: April 4, 2014
    • PlayStation 4, Xbox One: June 9, 2015
Windows [lower-alpha 5]
Xbox One 		PlayStation 4 Mac OS [lower-alpha 5]
The Elder Scrolls: Legends
  • Genre: Collectible card
  • Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
  • Release date:
    • Windows: March 9, 2017
    • macOS: May 31, 2017
    • iOS, Android: July 27, 2017
WindowsmacOS
iOS
Android
The Elder Scrolls: Blades
  • Genre: Action role-playing
  • Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
  • Release date:
    • Android, iOS: May 12, 2020
    • Nintendo Switch: May 14, 2020
Android
iOS
Nintendo Switch
The Elder Scrolls: Castles [25] Android

Notes

  1. ↑ The mobile version of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion was developed by Superscape. [10]
  2. 1 2 Tribunal and Bloodmoon are both included in the Xbox version of The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind – Game of the Year Edition.
  3. ↑ The Elder Scrolls Travels: Shadowkey was developed by Vir2L Studios and TKO Software. [19]
  4. ↑ The Xbox 360 version of The Elder Scrolls IV: Knights of the Nine is only available through Xbox Live Marketplace, or through the Xbox version of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion – Game of the Year Edition. [21]
  5. 1 2 The Elder Scrolls Online is developed by ZeniMax Online Studios. [6]

Related Research Articles

The Elder Scrolls is a series of action role-playing video games primarily developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. The series focuses on free-form gameplay in an open world. Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim all won Game of the Year awards from multiple outlets. The series has sold more than 58 million copies worldwide.

<i>The Elder Scrolls III: Tribunal</i> 2002 video game

The Elder Scrolls III: Tribunal is an expansion for the role-playing video game The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind by Bethesda Softworks, released on November 6, 2002. The first of two expansions released for Morrowind, Tribunal is set in Mournhold, the capital of the province of Morrowind, and a self-contained city disconnected from the original game. The central quests task the player to resolve the tensions between the King of Morrowind, Hlaalu Helseth, and the Living God Almalexia. The expansion includes quality of life additions, including alterations to the game's quest journal and map.

<i>The Elder Scrolls III: Bloodmoon</i> 2003 video game

The Elder Scrolls III: Bloodmoon is the second expansion pack for the 2002 video game The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, developed by Bethesda Game Studios and released for Windows in 2003. The expansion was later released as part of the Morrowind: Game of the Year Edition for the Xbox in 2004. The expansion adds a landmass to the game, Solstheim, a setting modelled on Norse mythology. The primary questline of Bloodmoon involves the investigation of the Bloodmoon Prophecy that foretells the return of the demigod Hircine. A secondary features a new faction, the East Empire Company, which tasks the player to establish a mining colony. Bloodmoon also provides the player with the ability to become a werewolf, a feature closely embedded in the main storyline and quests. The expansion features more detailed environments, including weather shaders such as snowfall and blizzards.

<i>The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind</i> 2002 video game

The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind is an open-world action role-playing video game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is the third installment in The Elder Scrolls series, following 1996's The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall, and was released in 2002 for Microsoft Windows and Xbox. The main story takes place on Vvardenfell, an island in the Dunmer province of Morrowind, part of the continent of Tamriel. The central quests concern the demigod Dagoth Ur, housed within the volcanic Red Mountain, who seeks to gain power and break Morrowind free from Imperial reign.

<i>The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion</i> 2006 video game

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is an open-world action role-playing video game developed by Bethesda Game Studios, and co-published by Bethesda Softworks and 2K Games. It is the fourth installment in The Elder Scrolls series, following 2002's The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, and was released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 in 2006, followed by PlayStation 3 in 2007. Taking place within the fictional province of Cyrodiil, the game's main story focuses on the player character's efforts to thwart a fanatical cult known as the Mythic Dawn that plans to open portal gates to a demonic realm known as Oblivion.

<i>The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall</i> 1996 video game

The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall is an open-world, action role-playing game published by Bethesda Softworks. The second video game in the Elder Scrolls series, it was released on September 20, 1996 for MS-DOS, following the success of 1994's The Elder Scrolls: Arena. The story follows the player, sent by the Emperor, to free the ghost of King Lysandus from his earthly shackles and discover what happened to a letter sent from the Emperor to the former queen of Daggerfall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Todd Howard</span> American video game designer, director, and producer

Todd Andrew Howard is an American video game designer, director, and producer. He serves as director and executive producer at Bethesda Game Studios, where he has led the development of the Fallout and The Elder Scrolls series.

<i>The Elder Scrolls IV: Shivering Isles</i> Expansion to the video game The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

The Elder Scrolls IV: Shivering Isles is the second expansion pack for the role-playing video game The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Announced on January 18, 2007, the expansion was developed, published, and released over the Xbox Live Marketplace by Bethesda Softworks; its retail release was co-published with 2K Games. It was released for Microsoft Windows in a boxed retail edition on March 26, 2007, while the Xbox 360 version was released digitally on the Xbox Live Marketplace. Shivering Isles takes place on the eponymous isles ruled by the Daedric Prince of Madness, Sheogorath. The player becomes Sheogorath's protégé, and together they try to defeat the Daedric Lord of Order, Jyggalag, thus preventing the isles from being destroyed; this main quest can be ignored for as long as the player wishes to interact with the new world. It is often considered to be Bethesda's best expansion, as well as one of the best expansions in video game history.

Development of <i>The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion</i> Development of 2006 video game

The development of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion began in 2002, immediately after its predecessor, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, was published. Rumors of a sequel to Morrowind started circulating in June 2004; the sequel's title was identified on September 10, 2004, the date of its official announcement. Oblivion was developed by Bethesda Game Studios, and the initial Xbox 360 and personal computer (PC) releases were co-published by Bethesda Softworks and Take-Two Interactive's subsidiary, 2K Games. According to interviews with Bethesda staff, the publisher-developer relationship—one of the few independent relations in the industry—worked well, and Bethesda was not subject to excessive corporate guidance. Initially scheduled for a November 22, 2005, release, in tandem with the Xbox 360's launch, Oblivion was delayed to a March 21, 2006, release for Windows PCs and the Xbox 360.

<i>The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim</i> 2011 video game

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is an action role-playing video game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is the fifth main installment in The Elder Scrolls series, following The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (2006), and was released worldwide for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 on November 11, 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Creation Engine</span> Video game engine

Creation Engine is a 3D video game engine created by Bethesda Game Studios based on the Gamebryo engine. The Creation Engine has been used to create role-playing video games such as The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Fallout 4, and Fallout 76. A new iteration of the engine, Creation Engine 2, was used to create Starfield. The Creation Engine has been tailor-made for large-scale open-world RPGs.

<i>The Elder Scrolls Online</i> 2014 video game

The Elder Scrolls Online, abbreviated ESO, is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed by ZeniMax Online Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. It was released for Windows and macOS in April 2014. It is a part of the Elder Scrolls series.

<i>The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Dawnguard</i> Expansion for the video game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Dawnguard is a downloadable content add-on for the action role-playing open world video game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. It was developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. The Xbox 360 version of Dawnguard was launched in English-speaking territories on June 26, 2012, and in France, Germany, Italy, and Spain in mid-July 2012. It was released on Microsoft Windows via Steam on August 2, 2012. Due to performance issues, the PlayStation 3 release of Dawnguard was delayed until February 26, 2013.

<i>The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Dragonborn</i> Video game add-on

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Dragonborn is the third and final add-on for the action role-playing open world video game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. It was developed by Bethesda Game Studios and released by Bethesda Softworks on the Xbox Live Marketplace on December 4, 2012. The Microsoft Windows version was released on February 5, 2013, and the PlayStation 3 version was released on February 12, 2013.

Mark E. Nelson is an American video game designer and humor writer best known for his work with Bethesda Game Studios and the game series The Elder Scrolls. In March 2007, he joined computer games company Big Huge Games to create a new role-playing game, joining industry veteran Brian Reynolds and long-time collaborator Ken Rolston.

<i>The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Hearthfire</i> 2012 Skyrim Expansion

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Hearthfire is the second downloadable content add-on for the action role-playing open world video game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The game was developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. The Xbox 360 version of Hearthfire launched on September 4, 2012. It was released on Microsoft Windows via Steam on October 5, 2012. It was released for the PlayStation 3 on February 19, 2013, in North America and February 20, 2013, in Europe.

Skyrimmodding refers to the community-made modifications for the 2011 fantasy role-playing video game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. One of the most modded video games of all time, it has nearly 70,000 mod submissions on Nexus Mods and 28,000 in the Steam Workshop. Many of these mods were created for utility reasons, patching numerous bugs left in the game by Bethesda Softworks, while also improving the game's usability and character movement. Other mods add new quests and characters, or update the game's graphics and animations. As the vanilla game has a reputation for outdated mechanics, it is common for players to mod Skyrim even prior to their first playthrough.

The Elder Scrolls is a series of video games. The term may also refer to:

"Dragonborn" is the theme song for the soundtrack of the 2011 role-playing video game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim from Bethesda Softworks, composed by the American composer Jeremy Soule. The composition is Nordic-influenced classical in style and features a chorus singing lyrics in a fictional language, Dragon-tongue, that was created by Emil Pagliarulo for the game. The composition borrows heavily from "Nerevar Rising", the theme from The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, as well as elements from music in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, both of which were also composed by Soule. "Dragonborn" was lauded by critics and audiences alike. It is featured in orchestral performances and spawned numerous covers, many of which combine the song with an in-game, English-language composition "The Dragonborn Comes". One such cover, by Lindsey Stirling and Peter Hollens, holds the Guinness World Record for most viewed cover version of a video game soundtrack.

References

  1. ↑ "Arena – Behind the Scenes". Bethesda Softworks (ZeniMax Media). 2004. Archived from the original on May 9, 2007. Retrieved June 8, 2007.
  2. ↑ "Daggerfall – Behind the Scenes". Bethesda Softworks (ZeniMax Media). Archived from the original on May 18, 2008. Retrieved July 5, 2010.
  3. ↑ "Morrowind, Behind the Scenes". Bethesda Softworks (ZeniMax Media). 2004. Archived from the original on November 14, 2006. Retrieved November 22, 2006.
  4. ↑ "Lynda Carter Joins the Voice Cast of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion" (Press release). ZeniMax Media. August 17, 2005. Archived from the original on October 25, 2010.
  5. ↑ Houghton, Mat. "Developers Corner: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion". Game Chronicles. Archived from the original on August 21, 2007. Retrieved August 11, 2007.
  6. 1 2 3 4 The Elder Scrolls Online:
  7. ↑ The Elder Scrolls: Arena
  8. ↑ The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall
  9. ↑ The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
  10. 1 2 The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
  11. ↑ The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim:
  12. ↑ The Elder Scrolls VI
  13. ↑ An Elder Scrolls Legend: Battlespire:
  14. ↑ The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard:
  15. ↑ The Elder Scrolls III: Tribunal:
  16. ↑ The Elder Scrolls Travels: Stormhold:
  17. ↑ The Elder Scrolls III: Bloodmoon:
  18. ↑ The Elder Scrolls Travels: Dawnstar:
  19. 1 2 The Elder Scrolls Travels: Shadowkey
  20. ↑ The Elder Scrolls IV: Knights of the Nine:
  21. ↑ Purchese, Rob (November 27, 2006). "Review - The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - Knights of the Nine". Eurogamer. Retrieved August 31, 2007.
  22. ↑ The Elder Scrolls IV: Shivering Isles:
  23. ↑ The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Dawnguard:
  24. ↑ The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Dragonborn:
  25. ↑ Zwiezen, Zack (29 September 2023). "Surprise, Bethesda Just Released A New Elder Scrolls Game". Kotaku . G/O Media . Retrieved 29 September 2023.
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