Skyrim - Anniversary Edition Released

WccfTech reports that Skyrim: Anniversary Edition is out, and that there is a free update to the Special Edition as well.

Skyrim Anniversary Edition Out Now; Free Update Weighs 5.3GB on PC

Today is the tenth anniversary of the release of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, arguably one of the most influential roleplaying games ever made, and Bethesda is celebrating it with the launch of Skyrim Anniversary Edition.

The latest version of the game includes all previously released Creation Club creations for the game as well as brand new content, such as Ghosts of the Tribunal and The Cause.

You'll have to pay for it, of course. Skyrim Anniversary Edition is priced at $49.99 for brand new customers, while owners of Skyrim Special Edition have the choice to upgrade at $19.99. However, they can also just enjoy the following free four DLCs as part of the Skyrim Anniversary Edition update 1.6 (out now on PC, weighing 5.3GB).

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I like to count years by the amount of Skyrim rereleases.

If you want to save a few bucks then Fanatical has the AE upgrade for €17.59 instead of the official €19.99.

I just started a new AE game all vanilla with zero additional 3rd party mods and it worked flawlessly. The AE mods are seamlessly integrated into the game. There is a bit of a wait until all ~150 mods have been downloaded when you start the AE Skyrim for the first time.

The survival mode, which I already owned because Bethesda gave it away as a freebie some time ago, can be toggled on/off from the menu. When starting a new game you get a prompt after leaving the prison asking whether you want to enable survival mode or not.

I once started a game with survival mode on but turned it off after a couple of hours. I wanted to explore in peace instead of constantly monitoring my survival stats. I'm sure it's a pretty nice challenge though for those people who know the world inside out and those who have spent hundreds or even thousands of hours in the game (wink @crpgnut ).

There are no visual changes since those are only for next (well, now current) gen consoles. That was obviously the main purpose of the AE anyway… to put a new Skyrim SKU on shelves for the XSX and PS5.

Personally, I'm waiting for the Century Edition that comes out in 2111.

Popular tags on Steam are currently: Hentai, Dating Sim, Dark Comedy and Capitalism. And it makes perfect sense.

I will probably pick it up on either Thanksgiving or Christmas week holidays. I'm off both weeks (perks of being oldest in my department). I'm still hammering away in SCUM currently, but I own all Skyrim pc versions except VR. Might as well get this one too.

Skyrim will outlive us all.

Originally Posted by Moriendor
The AE mods are seamlessly integrated into the game. There is a bit of a wait until all ~150 mods have been downloaded when you start the AE Skyrim for the first time.

That's disappointing and answers the primary question I had about the upgrade. So the CC content isn't optional. I was hoping there would be some kind of menu screen with a checklist where you could toggle each of them on or off.

Originally Posted by Moriendor
There are no visual changes since those are only for next (well, now current) gen consoles. That was obviously the main purpose of the AE anyway… to put a new Skyrim SKU on shelves for the XSX and PS5.

What visual changes did the XSX/PS5 get? I thought it was only a bump in resolution to 4K.

I will only be picking this up if a hugely anticipated mod says its a requirement to run the mod, and that won't happen for years anyway, so even then I will be able to buy it at a bargain basement price, instead of the ridiculous $50 they are charging now, it will be like $15 or less.

Just stick with the previous version and if you guys want a link for the creation content just let me know. As there really isn't a good reason to pay $50 or an upgrade fee.

I'm debating if I should pick this up now or wait for the 20-Year Anniversary Edition.

Originally Posted by Vindicator
I'm debating if I should pick this up now or wait for the 20-Year Anniversary Edition.

I think I'll wait for the Silver Anniversary, instead.

Why would anyone pay money for this? It's the same game you have, folks. Exact same game. You have been able to find mods that add all the junk they're throwing into this edition, for free, for years and years. Is it just laziness?

Originally Posted by Moriendor
If you want to save a few bucks then Fanatical has the AE upgrade for €17.59 instead of the official €19.99.

I just started a new AE game all vanilla with zero additional 3rd party mods and it worked flawlessly. The AE mods are seamlessly integrated into the game. There is a bit of a wait until all ~150 mods have been downloaded when you start the AE Skyrim for the first time.

The survival mode, which I already owned because Bethesda gave it away as a freebie some time ago, can be toggled on/off from the menu. When starting a new game you get a prompt after leaving the prison asking whether you want to enable survival mode or not.

I once started a game with survival mode on but turned it off after a couple of hours. I wanted to explore in peace instead of constantly monitoring my survival stats. I'm sure it's a pretty nice challenge though for those people who know the world inside out and those who have spent hundreds or even thousands of hours in the game (wink @crpgnut ).

There are no visual changes since those are only for next (well, now current) gen consoles. That was obviously the main purpose of the AE anyway… to put a new Skyrim SKU on shelves for the XSX and PS5.

What mods are included in the creation club content? And are they available through Nexus mods or Steam Workshop as well?

I tried googling the mods, but the lists I found are click-batey and not well done.

Edit: The survival mods I've tried are fun when RPing a hunter or stuff like that, but less so when trying to enjoy the story or quests.

Originally Posted by SveNitoR
What mods are included in the creation club content? And are they available through Nexus mods or Steam Workshop as well?

I tried googling the mods, but the lists I found are click-batey and not well done.

Edit: The survival mods I've tried are fun when RPing a hunter or stuff like that, but less so when trying to enjoy the story or quests.

With the AE, you get all of the Creation Club (CC) mods/creations that were available at the time of the AE release (11/11/2021). I'm sure you could find many clones of those mods on the Nexus or even mods that are "better" in some ways (depending on what you want to achieve with a specific mod).

There is a list (not sure if it is complete) of all CC mods here at the UESP. Every mod on this list is included with the paid AE upgrade. The free AE upgrade only includes four of those creations: Survival mode, Fishing, the Saints & Seducers quest and the Rare Curious ingredient pack.

Originally Posted by Moriendor
With the AE, you get all of the Creation Club (CC) mods/creations that were available at the time of the AE release (11/11/2021). I'm sure you could find many clones of those mods on the Nexus or even mods that are "better" in some ways (depending on what you want to achieve with a specific mod).

There is a list (not sure if it is complete) of all CC mods here at the UESP. Every mod on this list is included with the paid AE upgrade. The free AE upgrade only includes four of those creations: Survival mode, Fishing, the Saints & Seducers quest and the Rare Curious ingredient pack.

Thanks for the link! Will check it out.

Having looked through the list it seems like a decent enough bunch of mods. 90% equipment with a related quest, but some actual gameplay and locations. Seems alright and I'll likely buy it some time in the future when it's reduced in price.

I found the list pretty underwhelming. Almost every mod is either just weapons or apparel.

Also, I've never liked when modders add weapons or armor from previous games. For example, two of the mods add the swords Umbra and Chrysamere from Morrowind, and another one adds the Staff of Sheogorath from Oblivion.

To me, those things would seem out of place in Skyrim. They're from another era and region of Tamriel. That's why I wish the CC content was modular.

Heh, I was just looking at this. A 2021 upgrade with no 3440x1440 support? Yikes!

If it truly is the orginal engine, that also means you get flying deer and bears launching into space like rockets if you run it faster than 60 FPS.

The thing is $50. They sure are milking this old thing to death.