There's a new mod for Skyrim whereby citizens of the province can see a "spy" balloon hovering above, which seems to be a reference to the real-world news story involving something similar. While a fantastic game in its own right, The Elder Scrolls 5 is known for its quotes, memes, litany of amusing bugs, and the many mods that keep Bethesda's RPG interesting. After more than 11 years, it's not surprising the modding community has come up with so many unique ideas to implement.
While Starfield is due for release soon and The Elder Scrolls 6 is currently in development, many are still giving Skyrim a lot of attention. Over the years, it's garnered a reputation that's made it a significant part of gaming culture. TES5 may have aged in terms of its visuals, but it continues to attract players both old and new. The vanilla experience alone is enough that fans are still happening upon new things to this day. However, those who want more can always turn to the heap of custom content that's available.
While a lot of mods aim to improve the Skyrim formula, there are those that just want to make references to real events. That's precisely what Nexus Mods user Echo Eclipse has done, at least. As spotted by Gfinity, "Aldmeri Dominion Spy Balloon" is exactly what it sounds like, a modification that adds a mysterious balloon that floats high above Tamriel. It's said to fly across the land, following the river, and while it doesn't have any scripting, it is animated and filled with equipment. For those who keep an eye on current affairs, this will seem familiar as it's obviously a nod to the news about the balloon spotted over the US recently, which was identified as being of Chinese origin.
In the mod, however, the balloon belongs to the Thalmor. In accordance with the lore, The Elder Scrolls' Thalmor are a governing group that believes in Elven supremacy. They are often reviled by others and have been known to manipulate and engineer great wars.
In any case, it shows not only the number of ideas that get implemented into the Elder Scrolls titles, but also how quickly the modding community works. There are a ton of ways to enhance gameplay, whether it's by adding an undead pizzeria into Skyrim or being able to order a real pizza in Oblivion. With so much custom content about, it's no wonder TES5 is still going strong after more than a decade.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is available for PC, PS3, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: Gfinity, Nexus Mods
