# The Elder Scrolls: Blades
**The Elder Scrolls: Blades** was a free-to-play first-person role-playing game and dungeon crawler developed by [Bethesda Game Studios](https://www.edgepedia.org/bethesda-game-studios) and set in the Elder Scrolls universe of Tamriel. It was announced at E3 2018 as "a massive first person role-playing game created for mobile", entered mobile Early Access in March 2019, and reached the [Nintendo Switch](https://www.edgepedia.org/nintendo-switch) in May 2020.[1](https://elderscrolls.bethesda.net/en-US/news/1nVOVSLBK008sCsgWYgSee/bethesda-e3-2018-showcase) • [2](https://www.mobygames.com/game/124319/the-elder-scrolls-blades/releases/) • [3](https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/The-Elder-Scrolls-Blades-1576249.html) The game's servers were permanently shut down on June 30, 2026, making it unplayable in its official form.[4](https://www.gamesradar.com/games/the-elder-scrolls/after-6-years-the-elder-scrolls-blades-is-shutting-down-in-june-and-bethesdas-made-everything-in-the-rpg-super-easy-to-unlock-for-the-remaining-time-thank-you-for-playing/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Developer / publisher | Bethesda Game Studios / Bethesda Softworks[3](https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/The-Elder-Scrolls-Blades-1576249.html) |
| Announcement | E3 2018, Bethesda's showcase on June 10, 2018[1](https://elderscrolls.bethesda.net/en-US/news/1nVOVSLBK008sCsgWYgSee/bethesda-e3-2018-showcase) |
| Releases | Mobile Early Access March 27, 2019; Nintendo Switch May 14, 2020[2](https://www.mobygames.com/game/124319/the-elder-scrolls-blades/releases/) • [3](https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/The-Elder-Scrolls-Blades-1576249.html) |
| Game modes | Town (rebuilding), Abyss (endless dungeon), Arena (one-on-one PvP)[5](https://www.mmorpg.com/columns/elder-scrolls-blades-a-golden-goose-with-a-lead-dollar-bill-round-its-neck-2000108269) |
| Business model | Free to play with gems, chests, timers, and loot boxes[6](https://switchplayer.net/2020/05/21/the-elder-scrolls-blades-review/) |
| Reception | Metacritic critic score 42, user score 2.7[7](https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/zenimax-bethesda/bethesda-elder-scrolls-game-shutting-down-this-month) |
| Shutdown | Servers closed permanently on June 30, 2026[4](https://www.gamesradar.com/games/the-elder-scrolls/after-6-years-the-elder-scrolls-blades-is-shutting-down-in-june-and-bethesdas-made-everything-in-the-rpg-super-easy-to-unlock-for-the-remaining-time-thank-you-for-playing/) |
## Gameplay
Blades organized its play around three modes: Town, Abyss, and Arena.[5](https://www.mmorpg.com/columns/elder-scrolls-blades-a-golden-goose-with-a-lead-dollar-bill-round-its-neck-2000108269) In the Town mode the player rebuilds a destroyed hometown, gathering gold and resources such as wood, iron, and stone from quests and jobs; improving the town and its shops unlocks better gear and more quests.[6](https://switchplayer.net/2020/05/21/the-elder-scrolls-blades-review/) • [8](https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/The_Elder_Scrolls%3A_Blades) [The Abyss](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-abyss) is an infinitely repeatable, procedurally created dungeon filled with a never-ending stream of enemies that grow progressively more difficult and more rewarding as the player continues.[8](https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/The_Elder_Scrolls%3A_Blades) • [9](https://www.androidcentral.com/elder-scrolls-blades) The Arena, unlocked at level 5, contains one-on-one combat against computer-controlled characters and other players online.[8](https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/The_Elder_Scrolls%3A_Blades) • [9](https://www.androidcentral.com/elder-scrolls-blades)
Compared with the mainline games, the format removed the ability to sneak up on enemies or use ranged attacks.[11](https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/switch-eshop/elder_scrolls_blades)
## Setting and story
The player is a surviving member of the Blades, the Empire's legendary spies and bodyguards who have been forced into exile. Returning to a hometown destroyed by the Bloodfall Queen's mercenaries, the character rebuilds the town and investigates what was uncovered in an ancient crypt beneath it.[11](https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/switch-eshop/elder_scrolls_blades) • [9](https://www.androidcentral.com/elder-scrolls-blades) The game is set shortly after the Fourth Era Great War, placing it between Oblivion and Skyrim in the series timeline, and its Ayleid ruins tie it to Cyrodiil.[12](https://www.gamesradar.com/elder-scrolls-blades-review-in-progress/)
## Development and release
Bethesda revealed Blades at its E3 2018 showcase alongside DOOM Eternal, Fallout 76, and the first tease of [The Elder Scrolls VI](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-elder-scrolls-vi).[1](https://elderscrolls.bethesda.net/en-US/news/1nVOVSLBK008sCsgWYgSee/bethesda-e3-2018-showcase) The game entered Early Access on mobile on March 27, 2019.[2](https://www.mobygames.com/game/124319/the-elder-scrolls-blades/releases/) At E3 2019, Bethesda announced a Nintendo Switch version with full cross-play and cross-progression between the mobile and Switch versions, alongside a free update adding a dragon questline, a custom jewelry system, and new jobs.[13](https://bethesda.net/en-US/news/bethesda-at-e3-2019) The Switch version was delayed from a fall 2019 window to early 2020,[14](https://www.gematsu.com/2019/11/the-elder-scrolls-blades-for-switch-delayed-to-early-2020) and it launched on the [Nintendo eShop](https://www.edgepedia.org/nintendo-eshop) on May 14, 2020 as a free download of 2.4 GB.[3](https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/The-Elder-Scrolls-Blades-1576249.html) A persistent internet connection was required to play.[3](https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/The-Elder-Scrolls-Blades-1576249.html)
## Reception
Critics consistently praised the presentation and faulted the structure. Reviewers described the game as good-looking for a mobile title, with visuals approaching Skyrim on [Xbox 360](https://www.edgepedia.org/xbox-360) and [PlayStation 3](https://www.edgepedia.org/playstation-3), and noted that the touch-screen combat could be surprisingly fluid.[15](https://www.pocketgamer.com/the-elder-scrolls-blades/the-elder-scrolls-blades-is-it-the-adventure-we-were-waiting-for/) • [5](https://www.mmorpg.com/columns/elder-scrolls-blades-a-golden-goose-with-a-lead-dollar-bill-round-its-neck-2000108269) On Metacritic the game finished at a critic score of 42 and a user score of 2.7.[7](https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/zenimax-bethesda/bethesda-elder-scrolls-game-shutting-down-this-month)
## Shutdown and afterlife
In March 2026 Bethesda announced through an in-game message that the servers would permanently shut down on June 30, 2026. Until that date, every item in the store was priced at 1 Gem or 1 Sigil, and all players received a free bundle of both currencies so they could access all content; on June 30 the servers closed and the game became inaccessible.[4](https://www.gamesradar.com/games/the-elder-scrolls/after-6-years-the-elder-scrolls-blades-is-shutting-down-in-june-and-bethesdas-made-everything-in-the-rpg-super-easy-to-unlock-for-the-remaining-time-thank-you-for-playing/) Bethesda's support page confirms the servers closed definitively on that date.[16](https://ayuda.bethesda.net/app/answers/detail/a_id/75137/~/update-on-the-elder-scrolls%3A-blades---june-2026) Because the game was always online, no official offline version was offered.[17](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-elder-scrolls/elder-scrolls-mobile-spinoff-blades-is-shutting-down-this-summer-after-eight-years-but-at-least-all-its-store-items-are-ultra-cheap-now/) A community project called New Blades recorded the game's client-server communication before the shutdown and rebuilt the server needed to make the game answer again.[18](https://newblades.dethele.com/)
## References
1. [Bethesda at E3 2018, Bethesda](https://elderscrolls.bethesda.net/en-US/news/1nVOVSLBK008sCsgWYgSee/bethesda-e3-2018-showcase)
2. [The Elder Scrolls: Blades Releases, MobyGames](https://www.mobygames.com/game/124319/the-elder-scrolls-blades/releases/)
3. [The Elder Scrolls: Blades, Nintendo Switch download software, Nintendo UK](https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/The-Elder-Scrolls-Blades-1576249.html)
4. [After 6 years, The Elder Scrolls Blades is shutting down in June, GamesRadar+](https://www.gamesradar.com/games/the-elder-scrolls/after-6-years-the-elder-scrolls-blades-is-shutting-down-in-june-and-bethesdas-made-everything-in-the-rpg-super-easy-to-unlock-for-the-remaining-time-thank-you-for-playing/)
5. [Elder Scrolls: Blades - A Golden Goose with a Lead Dollar Bill Round Its Neck, MMORPG.com](https://www.mmorpg.com/columns/elder-scrolls-blades-a-golden-goose-with-a-lead-dollar-bill-round-its-neck-2000108269)
6. [The Elder Scrolls: Blades Review, Switch Player](https://switchplayer.net/2020/05/21/the-elder-scrolls-blades-review/)
7. [Bethesda's instantly forgettable Elder Scrolls game is shutting down this month, Windows Central](https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/zenimax-bethesda/bethesda-elder-scrolls-game-shutting-down-this-month)
8. [The Elder Scrolls: Blades, Elder Scrolls Fandom wiki](https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/The_Elder_Scrolls%3A_Blades)
9. [The Elder Scrolls: Blades for Android - Everything you need to know, Android Central](https://www.androidcentral.com/elder-scrolls-blades)
10. [The Elder Scrolls: Blades Review - Stick With Skyrim, GamingBolt](https://gamingbolt.com/the-elder-scrolls-blades-review)
11. [The Elder Scrolls: Blades Review (Switch eShop), Nintendo Life](https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/switch-eshop/elder_scrolls_blades)
12. [Elder Scrolls Blades review in progress, GamesRadar+](https://www.gamesradar.com/elder-scrolls-blades-review-in-progress/)
13. [Bethesda at E3 2019, Bethesda](https://bethesda.net/en-US/news/bethesda-at-e3-2019)
14. [The Elder Scrolls: Blades for Switch delayed to early 2020, Gematsu](https://www.gematsu.com/2019/11/the-elder-scrolls-blades-for-switch-delayed-to-early-2020)
15. [The Elder Scrolls: Blades - Is it the adventure we were waiting for?, Pocket Gamer](https://www.pocketgamer.com/the-elder-scrolls-blades/the-elder-scrolls-blades-is-it-the-adventure-we-were-waiting-for/)
16. [Actualización sobre The Elder Scrolls: Blades - junio de 2026, Soporte Bethesda](https://ayuda.bethesda.net/app/answers/detail/a_id/75137/~/update-on-the-elder-scrolls%3A-blades---june-2026)
17. [Elder Scrolls mobile spinoff Blades is shutting down this summer, PC Gamer](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-elder-scrolls/elder-scrolls-mobile-spinoff-blades-is-shutting-down-this-summer-after-eight-years-but-at-least-all-its-store-items-are-ultra-cheap-now/)
18. [new blades - Blades is gone. It is also still playable.](https://newblades.dethele.com/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Video games and digital play › Games and gameplay › Game genres › Action, adventure, and role-playing games › Action role-playing games*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 19, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 19, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license