This past week, Bethesda broke down its plans for the release of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim Anniversary Edition. The new iteration of the decade-old RPG will bundle together all of Skyrim's post-launch content, including years of Creator's Club material, as well as a new Fishing system. The hype surrounding Skyrim Anniversary Edition has left some Skyrim players feeling left out, though Bethesda has clarified the situation, making it clear that Skyrim Special Edition players will be getting a bonus, too.
Bethesda has confirmed that the four largest Creation Club DLC releases that have been announced for the Skyrim Anniversary Edition will also be coming to the Skyrim Special Edition for free. These four pieces of DLC include the Saints and Seducers quests, Rare Curios alchemy ingredients, Survival Mode game mode, and the Fishing system that's entirely new to the game. All four will be free to download once the Skyrim Anniversary Edition arrives on November 2.
The Creation Club is an in-game cash shop released with the Skyrim Special Edition. Through the Creation Club, modders and other creators were able to partner with Bethesda to release officially sanctioned DLC. This content can be used in-game with achievements still fully available, unlike non-supported mods. Saints and Seducers, Rare Curios, and Survival Mode have previously been released through the Creation Club, available as premium DLC.
As special as it is that Bethesda will be releasing these four pieces of Creation Club DLC for free to Skyrim Special Edition owners, a lot of Creation Club content will be withheld, too. The Skyrim Anniversary Edition will feature over 70 different pieces of DLC from the Creation Club. Beyond the four already detailed, there are multiple DLCs offering dungeons, quests, and a spectrum of rewards. There will also be 26 new creations among the 70 that Skyrim Anniversary Edition players will have to discover for themselves.
Ultimately, Skyrim Special Edition players will be pleased with the free DLC they'll receive, but will undoubtedly feel somewhat shorted by Bethesda, too. There will still be over $150 worth of Creator's Club content in the game, without including the upcoming new DLC. That's how Bethesda plans to sell Skyrim Anniversary Edition even to dedicated players, however.
The Skyrim Anniversary Edition appears to be the definitive collection of Skyrim content, barring any further Creation Club DLC releases in the future. It includes 48 currently available creations, 26 new creations, the Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and Dragonborn add-ons, remastered graphics, plus optimizations for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. As such, it may genuinely be the last time fans have to buy Skyrim.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim Anniversary Edition releases November 11 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
