The Elder Scrolls is making its way to mobile devices courtesy of The Elder Scrolls: Blades, and its Early Access version is opening itself up to new users. After a limited number of initial spaces, Bethesda is now dropping the requirement for an invite, and so getting into The Elder Scrolls: Blades is a simple process.
First announced at E3 2018 with a debut trailer and discussion from Bethesda’s Todd Howard, The Elder Scrolls: Blades is the company’s attempt to bring the series’ RPG stylings to mobile. Complete with three game modes, including the in-depth Town mode and the endless Rogue-like dungeon of the Abyss, it’s a far cry from the card-based gameplay of The Elder Scrolls: Legends.
Now, checking out the game has been made extremely easy. The Early Access version of The Elder Scrolls: Blades was previously limited to specific invites, but this has now been dropped meaning that anyone can dive in. The only requirement is that players have a Bethesda account, and then they can head over to iTunes or Google Play to download the pre-release version.
So far, reactions to The Elder Scrolls: Blades have been mixed. Although there has been praise for the title’s gameplay, there has instead been some criticism of its microtransactions. Some users have felt that the game is almost pay-to-win in nature thanks to the way in which chests unlock. This is an area that Bethesda will look to rebalance going forward or else face backlash as seen by other high-profile mobile games like Command & Conquer: Rivals.
Taking The Elder Scrolls to mobile in a more traditional format is an interesting move from Bethesda. The company revealed that The Elder Scrolls VI is in development during the same E3 2018 conference in which Blades was shown off, so it’s not as though the mobile game is taking the place of a core release. However, with new IP Starfield on the way, it may be some time before The Elder Scrolls VI is good to go.
With that in mind, Bethesda might be hoping that The Elder Scrolls: Blades could at least fill the gap for Elder Scrolls fans in the meantime, particularly given the awkward reception that stablemate Fallout 76 has received. Then again, even if The Elder Scrolls: Blades doesn’t get a major turnout there’s still such discussion points as where The Elder Scrolls VI will take place to keep fans occupied.
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