Bethesda Says We'll Still Be Playing Skyrim In 2030

The cultural impact of Skyrim is impossible to ignore. Fantasy classics like The Lord of the Rings and Terry Pratchett's Discworld series have stood the test of time, but The Elder Scrolls and its ilk have shown you can make a classic whenever it suits you.

Skyrim is one of the most impressive fantasy worlds ever created, and though it has modern competition in The Witcher and Elden Ring, it remains the titan it was always destined to be.

What Does Bethesda Think Makes Skyrim Special?

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According to Bethesda, we'll still be playing for some time. The developer has a lot of expectations and reckons we'll still be all over Tamriel in 10 years.  

Skyrim Audio Director Mark Lampert spoke to GamesRadar about the game's longevity - believing that its open world makes it so special.

"In Skyrim, you can go wherever you like, even into an area you're not ready for," said Lampert. "The whole thing is wide open. So it's a case of: let's go see that, let's go see this, those mountain points, let's go find our way up there."

"All of which gives the game a real sense of longevity. And even though when we're working on a game, and we might have played it, literally, 1,000s of times – I don't know how many 1,000s of times I've heard the main theme."

"Taking a short break and jumping back in, it all becomes so compelling again. I mean, hats off to the game designers in that respect, Skyrim just has that hook."

Will We Still Be Playing Skyrim In A Decade?

A confident Lampert added, "10 years from now, if Skyrim is still playable, then people will still be playing it. "And of course it will be, it's on everything."

By then, we'll be playing on screens, your refrigerator, your Tesla on your commute. And it'll make you late for work." He certainly has a point - the game has a timelessness about it that hasn't really budged since the game released.

Even though Skyrim player numbers were at their height at launch, the sheer sum of players returning to the title has remained incredibly steady.

Skyrim owns the world regarding fantasy games, and though there are some great new fantasy worlds to explore, let's be honest - Skyrim remains the king.