Bethesda has just permanently removed one of its games from sale, leaving it completely unavailable to purchase on all platforms. In addition to this, it has announced that the servers of the game are shutting down on June 30. Those who already own the Bethesda game will be able to play it until this date; however, after this date, it will be rendered completely unplayable and useless because the game does not contain any offline or single-player modes. It is entirely online, so when its servers shut down, it’s completely wiped from existence.
More specifically, fans of The Elder Scrolls have a few months to enjoy the free-to-play action RPG spin-off released in 2020, known as The Elder Scrolls: Blades. Developed by Bethesda Game Studios, The Elder Scrolls: Blades is set between the events of Oblivion and Skyrim, and up until now, was available on Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android, and playable on Switch 2 via backward compatability with its predecessor. The Bethesda game never came to PlayStation platforms or Xbox platforms, so those on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X don’t need to stress this delisting and imminent shutdown.
Bethesda Game Gone After 6 Years
The Elder Scrolls: Blades was only released back in 2020, so it didn’t live terribly long; however, in the age of games like Concord and Highguard shutting down in just a few weeks of releasing, six years is a decent run. Typically, when games shut down and are delisted, the developer or publisher doesn’t provide an explanation. This shutdown has proven to be no exception. Bethesda provides a statement, but the statement doesn’t reveal any salient details other than the relevant dates.
“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,” reads the statement in question. “All players receive a free bundle of Gems and Sigils, so you can enjoy all the content Blades has to offer. Thank you for playing, and we hope you have enjoyed your time in Blades.”
While Bethesda doesn’t say why, it is pretty obvious the game is shutting down because it’s costing more to retain servers and maintain support than its free-to-play monetization is bringing in. That, or there is some type of licensing involved that we don’t know about that Bethesda either can’t or doesn’t want to renew, and so the game must be pulled as a result.
The Elder Scrolls: Blades was not received terribly well when it was released, as evidenced by its Metacritic score of 42. However, it did start well. Within the first week, it attracted more than one million downloads, but these were the first and last figures Bethesda ever provided for the game, signaling a fall off in interest.
All of that said, and as always, feel free to leave a comment or two letting us know what you think, or join the conversation over on the ComicBook Forum.