Bethesda is Taking Its Most Controversial Elder Scrolls Game Offline |
Get unlimited access to everything VICE has to offer.
Turn off all ads on VICE.com
Exclusive New VICE Documentaries
Member Exclusive Features & Columns
Turn off all ads on VICE.com
Exclusive New VICE Documentaries
Member Exclusive Features & Columns
Turn off all ads on VICE.com
Exclusive New VICE Documentaries
Member Exclusive Features & Columns
4 Magazines Delivered to Your Door
Bethesda is Taking Its Most Controversial Elder Scrolls Game Offline
Bethesda confirms that one of The Elder Scrolls games is coming to an end on June 30, 2026 after a seven year run.
Share on X (Opens in new window)X
Share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Facebook
Share using Native toolsShareCopied to clipboard
After rough launch reviews and years of patches and updates, Bethesda is finally ready to pull the plug on one of the most experimental installments in the Elder Scrolls franchise.
Elder Scrolls: Blades Will Permanently Shut Down This Summer
The Elder Scrolls: Blades was originally revealed at E3 2018 and promised to bring a fresh spin on the franchise with its free-to-play mobile-first design. The game hit early access on mobile in 2019 before a full launch on iOS, Android, and Nintendo Switch in 2020.
After seven years of support, Bethesda is now ready to end its support of the free-to-play title. Here is the official update from the publisher:
“The Elder Scrolls: Blades servers will permanently shut down on June 30, 2026. From now until June 30, 2026, all items in the store will be available for 1 Gem or 1 Sigil each, so you can enjoy all content Blades has to offer. On that date, servers will be shut down and the game will be inaccessible. Thank you for playing and we hope you have enjoyed your time in Blades.”
When it was first announced, some fans of the franchise were excited at the idea of a dungeon-crawling, town-building spinoff with roguelike elements. At the same time, a larger portion of the audience was hesitant about the idea of a free-to-play mobile installment sullying the reputation of the high-quality franchise.
When the game arrived, it was met by pretty rough reviews and currently holds a Generally Unfavorable rating for both the user score and critics score on Metacritic. Considering the harsh reception it received, it’s actually a bit surprising that Blades has managed to stick around as long as it did.
Bethesda did continue patching the game with improvements, including motion controls for the Switch version, but apparently it was not enough to build an audience and income stream that justifies keeping the game online.
Once the game goes offline on June 30, 2026, players will no longer be able to access it. This likely is a bit of a gut punch for dedicated players who have spent years perfecting the town-building aspect of the game. Unfortunately, an offline mode patch does not seem likely at this point based on the announcement.
Fans of The Elder Scrolls franchise who are eager for the next adventure will need to continue to wait for the next announcement about The Elder Scrolls 6, which is currently in development.
The Elder Scrolls: Blades is available for now on Nintendo Switch and mobile devices.
Share on X (Opens in new window)X
Share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Facebook
Share using Native toolsShareCopied to clipboard
Screenshot: Bethesda Bethesda is Taking Its Most Controversial Elder Scrolls Game Offline 5 minutes ago By Denny Connolly
Bethesda is Taking Its Most Controversial Elder Scrolls Game Offline
Screenshot: Supergiant Games Every Game Coming to Xbox Game Pass in April 58 minutes ago By Denny Connolly
Every Game Coming to Xbox Game Pass in April
Photo: Stefania Pelfini la Waziya / Getty Images The Exact Amount of Coffee That Lowers Stress (It’s More Than You Think) 5 hours ago By Luis Prada
The Exact Amount of Coffee That Lowers Stress (It’s More Than You Think)
Photo: Meyer & Meyer / Getty Images Eye Floaters Might Be a Warning Sign You Shouldn’t Ignore 5 hours ago By Luis Prada
Eye Floaters Might Be a Warning Sign You Shouldn’t Ignore
Photo: Lya_Cattel / Getty Images Your Doctor May Soon Give You a Depression Prescription Straight Out of the 1800s 6 hours ago By Luis Prada
Your Doctor May Soon Give You a Depression Prescription Straight Out of the 1800s
Photo: Javier Zayas Photography / Getty Images The One Thing From Your Ex You Probably Still Have (1 in 3 People Do) 6 hours ago By Sammi Caramela
The One Thing From Your Ex You Probably Still Have (1 in 3 People Do)
Photo: Rob Daly / Getty Images 7 Signs Your Summer Fling Is Catching Feelings (Even If You’re Not) 7 hours ago By Sammi Caramela
7 Signs Your Summer Fling Is Catching Feelings (Even If You’re Not)
Photo: Thomas Barwick / Getty Images 5 Lies About Being an Adult That You Still Believe 7 hours ago By Ashley Fike
5 Lies About Being an Adult That You Still Believe
Photo: Tetra Images / Getty Images Do the Health Risks of Drinking Alcohol Change With the Type of Booze? (One Drink Hits Different) 8 hours ago By Ashley Fike
Do the Health Risks of Drinking Alcohol Change With the Type of Booze? (One Drink Hits Different)
Photo: Dmytro Betsenko / Getty Images The 3-3-3 Rule Isn’t Just for Your Dog, It Can Also Save You a Lot of Bad Dates 8 hours ago By Ashley Fike
The 3-3-3 Rule Isn’t Just for Your Dog, It Can Also Save You a Lot of Bad Dates
Kill the ads for just $2 a month
VICE membership also gives you access to our very best writing and exclusive new documentaries.
Add your account details