The Most Popular RPG of All Time Released 14 Years Ago Today (& It’s Time For Another Playthrough)

Gamers have been treated to some truly incredible RPGs over the years. But although there are plenty of great games out there with dedicated fan bases, it’s hard to argue with the popularity and longevity of one standout title. I am, of course, referring to The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. The game launched onto the scene on November 11th, 2011, and was an almost instant success with over 7 million units sold in its first week alone. But even as the game made its way to households around the world, few could have predicted how the game’s legacy would linger even after all this time.

It’s no secret that Skyrim is one of the biggest successes in Bethesda’s history. Though the prior Elder Scrolls games were popular, Skyrim threw the franchise into a whole new stratosphere. It has continued to sell well even in the years since its launch, in part due to Bethesda’s penchant for re-releasing the game instead of giving us The Elder Scrolls 6 already. What is it about Skryim that’s made it one of the most recognizable and beloved RPGs of all time? In honor of its 14th birthday, I’m going to do my best to tell you.

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim Is An Accessible RPG with Infinite Replayability

From my early days as a young gamer to now, I remain a huge RPG lover. But I’m also a devoted lover of cozy games, and somehow, Skyrim manages to satisfy both of these genres. The game crops up in my cozy gaming groups right alongside RPG-focused forums, and for good reason. Compared to prior entries in the Elder Scrolls series, Skyrim offers a scaled-back skill tree that gives players more creative freedom. Choosing a class is no longer required, and you can more naturally lean into your playstyle and let your character’s skills develop naturally. Does that mean many of us wind up as a stealth archer every time? Yes, yes it does.

But it also means that Skyrim made RPG gameplay accessible even to those less familiar with the intricacies of the genre. You get to craft and level up your character, but it’s harder to make mistakes that result in a near-unplayable build. You aren’t faced with big decisions up front, and can instead evolve and even change up your strengths as you play. This makes the game easy to sink into, while still offering options for mastery and decision-making as you level up your skills. Add Shouts alongside spell, armor, and weapon options, and you can do a good bit with different character builds even without picking a specific class.

This makes Skyrim less intimidating to pick up, but that’s not the only reason it’s so popular. Few games are as replayable as Skyrim, with its expansive open world full of endless side quests, surprises, and quirks. A few years ago, I started a playthrough with the goal of doing every quests I’d never done before. And with several years of expansions and updates under its belt, Skyrim has plenty of surprises in store even for those who’ve spent a good bit of time in Tamriel. Though that ending sequence takes ages to get through, what you find in the world beyond is well worth it. The quirky characters, charming glitches, and overall expansiveness of options for what to do next in your adventure make it easy to keep coming back to Skyrim.

Of course, I’d be remiss not to mention the role that mods have had in Skyrim’s longevity. This is where I have to confess I tend to play vanilla Skyrim because of who I am as a person, but I’m well aware of just how many people never play without mods installed. From ridiculous ones to those that just make the game run better, mods and mod creators are a key part of Skyrim‘s ongoing success. These add-ons add even more replayability and variety to a game that’s already incredibly expansive. But mods or no mods, gamers just can’t seem to stop talking about (and buying) Skyrim.

Bethesda Keeps Re-Releasing Skyrim, And We Keep Buying It

Skyrim was pretty clearly a commercial success from jump. The game sold incredibly well in its first few days and weeks on the market, but has continued to sell even 14 years later. The game initially released for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360, but it has since made its way to each modern platform via re-releases. You can even play Skyrim on the Nintendo Switch, making it a rarity among RPGs, which historically weren’t often ported to the handheld. The game has also seen 3 official DLC expansions, adding more stories and regions for players to explore. This has helped entice gamers, myself included, to grab newer versions of the game that release for modern platforms alongside the DLC.

Much like another longstanding gaming class, Stardew Valley, many gamers own a copy of Skyrim on more than one system. I myself am guilty of having originally played on an Xbox 360, coming back to it again as one of my first purchases for the Nintendo Switch. But it’s not just the base game that keeps gamers coming back for more. Skyrim has seen multiple re-releases, with the Skyrim Special Edition bringing the game and all its DLC to the PS4 and Xbox One. Then, we got the 10th Anniversary Edition, which also adds in Creation Club mod content along with the base game and DLC.

Back in 2023, Todd Howard confirmed that The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim had sold over 60 million copies across all platforms since its release in 2011. That lands it solidly among the best-selling games of all time, and one of the top-selling RPGs in history. Although many people question the game’s icon status due to its glitchy nature, it’s clear that there are plenty of fans happy to play Skyrim time and time again. From the memes it has spawned to the sheer fun of nailing a stealth shot with an arrow at a distance, Skyrim is one of the most popular RPGs of all time. And if thinking about how the game is now 14 years old doesn’t make you want to start another playthrough, well, you’re stronger-willed than I am.

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