Bethesda's Free-to-Play Mobile Game The Elder Scrolls: Blades to Shut Down Permanently
Bethesda has made the decision to shut down its free-to-play mobile game, The Elder Scrolls: Blades, on June 30. This move affects dozens of players who have been grinding the game in recent months. The game's servers will be permanently taken offline, marking the end of an era for fans of the Elder Scrolls series on mobile devices.
The Elder Scrolls: Blades was initially released in 2020 for Android, iOS, and Nintendo Switch. At the time of its release, it saw significant success with over one million iOS downloads within the first week of its early access period. However, the game failed to achieve the same level of commercial success as Bethesda's mainline titles. Critics panned the game, giving it a "Generally Unfavorable" score on Metacritic, citing its repetitive gameplay and excessive use of microtransactions.
Players who still want to access the game before its shutdown will be able to do so until June 30. In the meantime, Bethesda is offering a free bundle of Gems and Sigils to players, as well as discounted prices for items in the in-game store. The Elder Scrolls: Castles remains available as a mobile spinoff of the Elder Scrolls series.
The shutdown of The Elder Scrolls: Blades follows a similar pattern to Bethesda's other spinoff, The Elder Scrolls: Legends, which was halted in development in 2019 and eventually taken offline in January 2025.
Bethesda's decision to shut down The Elder Scrolls: Blades raises questions about the viability of free-to-play mobile games in the long term. The game's failure to achieve commercial success despite its initial popularity highlights the challenges of maintaining a large player base in a highly competitive market. This development serves as a reminder that even successful games can eventually fall out of favor with players and developers alike.
