Skyrim is about to get its fourth re-release since launching 10 years ago

The logo for The Elder Scroll V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition
(Image credit: Bethesda)

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim will soon hit its 10-year anniversary, and to celebrate Bethesda plans on releasing an extra special edition of the game that includes… fishing. Yep. Fishing.

The 10th Anniversary Edition will drop on November 11, 2021 on PC, PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S, though you’ll be able to get free next-gen updates on the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S if you own the Special Edition of the game.

Included in the fourth re-release of the game – yes, unbelievably Skyrim is on its fourth re-release – will be a new fishing mini-game and 500+ Creation Club elements that offer “pre-existing and new quests, dungeons, bosses, weapons, spells and more".

The obvious advantage to buying the game for the FIFTH time is that it will take advantage of the Xbox Series X and PS5’s upgraded hardware, but Bethesda has yet to say which exact features the game will take advantage of. Frame rate? Faster loading times? Spatial audio? Who knows – all we know is that there’s going to be fishing. 


Opinion: There’s not much new here… but I’m too big of a fan to pass on it 

So how did we come up with the number of remasters? Well, you’ve got the Legendary Edition of the game that came out two years after launch that combined all the expansions plus the main game into one box, then came the Special Edition that ported the game to Xbox One and PS4 in 2016. We got a VR version of the game in 2017/2018 and finally we come to the Anniversary Edition that’s dropping on November 11. 

Each of the remasters brought something new to the table and two of them – the VR version and Special Edition – helped adapt the game for current hardware at the time. 

The latest version of the game will do the same thing but it feels a bit like a cash-in of a cash-in – a port of a port that we’ve already played through. That said, because it’s a free upgrade for Special Edition owners it doesn’t feel all that egregious, even though it’d be great had Bethesda added something a little more than a fishing mini-game. 

Regardless, Skyrim remains one of the better-known, widely regarded entries in the open-world RPG genre, and is a personal favorite of mine. So, yeah, I’ll probably buy it. But I swear I won’t buy it a sixth time.

TOPICS
Nick Pino

Nick Pino is Managing Editor, TV and AV for TechRadar's sister site, Tom's Guide. Previously, he was the Senior Editor of Home Entertainment at TechRadar, covering TVs, headphones, speakers, video games, VR and streaming devices. He's also written for GamesRadar+, Official Xbox Magazine, PC Gamer and other outlets over the last decade, and he has a degree in computer science he's not using if anyone wants it.

Read more
The setting for The Elder Scrolls 6. Mountains, grasslands and an ocean in the distance
The Elder Scrolls 6 - everything we know so far
 The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Leak suggests an Oblivion remake is set to launch soon
Fallout 76 Wastelanders screenshot showing three characters in Power Armor, standing side by side at the bottom of a sun drenched canyon
Fallout 5 - everything we know so far
The Days Gone Remastered key art.
Hear me out, Days Gone Remastered doesn't actually look that bad
The Elder Scrolls 6 trailer screenshot
Bethesda is offering the chance to create an Elder Scrolls 6 NPC at a charity auction, and it’s already at over $10,000
TechRadar Gaming's most anticipated 2025 games.
From Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 to Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, these are our most anticipated games of 2025
Latest in Consoles & PC
Astro Bot PS5 bundle
Sony officially announces new Astro Bot PS5 bundles and they're available from PlayStation Direct right now for bargain prices we can barely believe
Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered
Future PlayStation games could have AI-powered characters, if this leaked prototype of Aloy is anything to go by
The artwork for The Last of Us Limited Edition DualSense controller
Where to pre-order and buy The Last of Us Limited Edition DualSense controller today - UK pre-orders are live but stock has sold out already
Playing games on the Razer Handheld Dock Chroma without an external display.
The Razer Handheld Dock Chroma offers Steam Deck owners a premium design and, of course, plenty of RGB
Image of GTA 6 protagonists and PS5
GTA 6's console-only launch reminds me of how much I despise console exclusivity - is it worth waiting years for PC ports?
The Hori Split Pad Pro attached to a Nintendo Switch OLED and placed on a colorful desk mat.
I've used the Hori Split Pad Pro with my Nintendo Switch for years and it's still great, but there are some better options in 2025
Latest in News
Garmin Instinct 3 in Neotropic Green
"I'm an idiot": Garmin user reveals how fixing one setting completely changed their training after months of making no progress
The main battle pass characters in Fortnite Lawless, including Midas, Sub Zero and a large wolf-man
You'll finally be able to play Fortnite on Windows 11 Arm-powered laptops as Epic Games partners with Qualcomm
DeepSeek on an iPhone
OpenAI calls on US government to ban DeepSeek, calling it ‘state-subsidized’ and ‘state-controlled’
Abstract image of cyber security in action.
MassJacker malware targets those looking for pirated software
Stress
Complexity of IT systems could be increasing security risks for businesses
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 3
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 3 enters development as team promises to support Space Marine 2 'with exciting content and regular updates in the coming years'