Sometimes, updating a game is terrible. That’s obviously true if the update is going to introduce a bunch of new bugs, break mechanics, or otherwise disrupt gameplay. It’s also true if the update will unnecessarily disrupt mods and save files. Cut to 2024, 13 years since the release of Skyrim, and Bethesda has updated the game yet again. If you’re playing vanilla, maybe that doesn’t matter, but we all know most Skyrim diehards are neck-deep in mods at this point. Not even Minecraft has a modding community this devoted. I don’t want Bethesda to break something, but that’s not the only reason I’m worried.
Skyrim Shouldn’t Get Dev Updates in 2024
If you care about what Bethesda is doing in Whiterun and Markarth, you should pay attention to what they’re doing in New Atlantis and Neon. That’s right: I’m worried about Skyrim patches because of Starfield. No, I don’t think Bethesda has any intention of dumping a chunk of proc gen wilderness into Skyrim. That said, I think the developer’s recent creative decisions are reason to be wary. Loving Skyrim is about as cliche as loving pumpkin spice lattes, but that hasn’t stopped me or countless others. It’s by no means a perfect game, but after a decade we’re happy with its scars and wrinkles. They’re familiar.
My adoration for Morrowind and the better Fallout games doesn’t blind me to the fact that Bethesda is capable of making mistakes, even with the best of intentions. The Disneyfied companions, lackluster main quest, and lack of a true open world in Starfield are proof enough. I appreciate the team’s devotion to the game, but updating Skyrim in 2024 feels like an artist taking a sharpie to a famous painting a decade after it entered the museum. The update is mostly bug fixes, and we appreciate the gesture, but please leave the game alone. Your full attention should be on TES6, Bethesda. Modders have this one covered.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is available for PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch.
