The Elder Scrolls: Blades

The Elder Scrolls: Blades
Publication Information
Developer	Bethesda Game Studios
Publisher	Bethesda Softworks
Release date	March 27, 2019 (Early Access) Fall 2019 (Nintendo Switch)
Platform	iOS/Android PC/Consoles/VR Switch
Game Information
Setting	Somewhere in the Third Empire
Time Period	Sometime after 4E 175

For the faction, see Blades.

"For centuries, the Blades protected the Dragonborn Emperors. An elite group of fighters, they commanded fear and respect. But the Great War against the Elves ravaged the Empire... The Emperor was forced to sign a costly peace treaty. The Blades were outlawed and disbanded. The Thalmor hunted them down throughout the Empire..."

―Introduction

The Elder Scrolls: Blades is an upcoming free-to-play game developed by Bethesda Game Studios that will be playable on iPhone, iPad, and Android devices in early 2019, Beta and Early Access in March and also on PC, consoles, and in VR. The game will also be available on the Switch in Fall 2019. Pre-registration is currently available from the official site. The game's score was composed by Inon Zur. On March 1st, 2019, Bethesda announced that the game would be entering early access in the spring, preceded by a closed beta for iOS (under NDA). Early access for The Elder Scrolls: Blades officially began on March 27, 2019.

Plot

In The Elder Scrolls: Blades you are member of the ancient order of the Blades. Forced into exile, you seek refuge in your remote hometown (which you get to name) only to find it reduced to rubble. Now, it’s up to you to restore your town back to its former glory.

The game is set after the events of the Great War, in an unknown town within the Third Empire. The Fugitive, who is the player character, returns to their home town only to find it up in flames. While on their way to the town, they are ambushed by mercenaries under the employ of the Bloodfall Queen, known as Urzoga gra-Batul, who is the Imperial vassal which the town answers to. Upon arrival, the Fugitive speaks with Junius the Elder and has to return the townsfolk who fled, after which they must aid in rebuilding the town.

Blades begins with a brief prologue talking about the Blades and how the group disbanded. It then goes on to give a combat tutorial, which consists of the Fugitive learning how to attack and block by killing a Thalmor Agent. After this, the Fugitive is shown how to walk and must cut through some vines to progress into their destroyed town. In doing so, they will find some environmental hostile creatures, such as dragons. Additionally, the Fugitive will come across two mercenaries, one of whom will need to be killed, while the other will surrender and engage in dialogue.

Release

The Elder Scrolls: Blades was released on March 28, 2019, in early access. On April 5, 2019, accessibility was widened to include anyone with a Bethesda.net account. The official release date has not been announced.

Early access

If granted early access, players must first download a somewhat large patch (800 MB+).

Gameplay

There are at least three modes of play in Blades. The player can level and customize their character, and on mobile devices, the game can be played in both portrait and landscape perspectives. Custom combat maneuvers can be performed by making specific swiping gestures.

Abyss

The Abyss game mode is infinitely repeatable and contains a dungeon filled with a never-ending stream of enemies which become progressively more difficult, and rewarding, as the player continues. During each level of the abyss, the player earns progress towards different items, from crafting supplies to alchemy ingredients. They may sometimes get chests, which have a random selection of gems, coins, ingredients, crafting materials, building materials, or weapons or armor.

Arena

The Arena game mode contains one-on-one combat against non-player characters and eventually against other players.

Town

The "Town" game mode is the main part of the game and focused on rebuilding the player's hometown after its destruction. Miscellaneous items can be used as building materials to restore the town in various ways. In the Town, the player can also start a number of Quests.

Character

The player character can increase their level to unlock the following skill trees:

• Spells
• Perks
• Abilities

Stats are divided into character info, offense, and defense.

As is the usual with The Elder Scrolls series, there are Health, Stamina, and Magicka, which is a set of stats represented by bars.

Gallery

Promotional artwork

Town

Dungeon

Arena

Ruin

Logo with dark background

Trivia

• If an outdated version of the game is attempted to be launched, while a more up-to-date version has been used on a different device, a "Communication Error" notice will pop up, mentioning a Dragon Break as an easter egg:

"A Dragon Break is unwinding time and space: you have already played an updated version of the game on another device. Go back to play on that device, or download an update for this one if available. (400-3-605)"

• Blades routinely sends players Push Notifications advertising special events and encouraging them to collect recurring rewards.