The Enduring Meme of Multiple Skyrim Editions

When it comes to the multiple editions of Skyrim, it has become a topic that has taken on a life of its own on the internet. The phenomenon has become so widespread that even Todd Howard, the director and executive producer of Bethesda Game Studios, acknowledges it. In an email sent to Bethesda and Xbox staff to mark the beginning of early access to Starfield, Howard playfully references the numerous iterations of Skyrim.

In a letter of congratulations circulated among offices, Howard discusses the arduous journey of creating Starfield, a new science-fantasy role-playing game. He mentions previous Bethesda releases such as “Fallout 4, Skyrim SE, Fallout Shelter, Skyrim VR, Fallout 76, more Skyrim…” This tongue-in-cheek nod to the multiple Skyrim editions highlights the extent to which the game has been reimagined and re-released over the years.

According to Howard’s letter, the development of Starfield was officially presented to the head of ZeniMax in 2013. This means that, within a span of twenty years, Bethesda has released three distinct versions of Skyrim. Specifically, Howard refers to the special editions released in 2016, the VR version for PSVR and PC in 2017, and the Anniversary Edition, an expanded edition released in 2021. With the addition of the Anniversary Edition, the tally of Skyrim versions now stands at four. However, when factoring in each platform and the various editions released on them, the count expands significantly.

As fans eagerly await the release of Starfield and reviews for the game, they can occupy themselves by utilizing the online character creation tool. Additionally, they can explore the wealth of details shared by Emil Pagliarulo, who has contributed to the development of the game.