Skyrim: Anniversary Edition was released on the 11th of November to celebrate 10 years passing since the game's initial release. Despite some interest in the release of Skyrim: Anniversary Edition, its launch flew under the radar somewhat, with many lacking enthusiasm for yet another Skyrim re-release. Skyrim: Anniversary Edition is far from the first time Skyrim has been re-released since the launch of the original a decade ago, and some fans aren’t exactly convinced by it.
What hasn't helped with the limited excitement around the release of Skyrim: Anniversary Edition is its absence on Game Pass. The service is one of the most popular in gaming, and given Bethesda’s Microsoft ownership, many had expected that the game’s inclusion in Game Pass was a given. But for now at least, Skyrim: Anniversary Edition is not available on Game Pass, and there are no plans to change this in the future.
Skyrim: Anniversary Edition's Game Pass Discount
While Skyrim: Anniversary Edition isn’t currently one of the hundreds of games available through Xbox Game Pass, players can still go through Game Pass to get it at a cheaper price than they otherwise would have. Skyrim: Anniversary Edition isn’t exactly a new version of Skyrim, at least not a standalone version. Instead, it’s an update on the existing Skyrim: Special Edition that adds a bunch of new content and some next-gen improvements. Because of this, to get Skyrim: Anniversary Edition, players don’t need to buy a whole new game - they can just purchase it as they would a DLC for The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim.
In fact, Skyrim: Anniversary Edition is even listed as a DLC on Steam, which gives some context as to what exactly Skyrim: Anniversary Edition is supposed to be. However, Skyrim: Anniversary Edition’s standalone price has still managed to raise some eyebrows, with a price tag of $49.99 at launch, making it an expensive DLC if that’s to be its true classification. However, there is a way to get Skyrim: Anniversary Edition for cheaper than its full retail price, which many Elder Scrolls players will no doubt opt for.
Owners of Skyrim: Special Edition don’t have to pay full price for yet another version of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. It is for these fans of The Elder Scrolls series that Skyrim: Anniversary Edition truly acts like a DLC, offering a much-reduced price to simply upgrade Skyrim: Special Edition to the Anniversary Edition. Fans can get Skyrim: Anniversary Edition cheaper through Game Pass if they don’t already own Skyrim: Special Edition. This will still give players the option to upgrade to the Anniversary Edition for $19, albeit only for as long as their subscription lasts. For non-Xbox Game Pass owners, Game Pass can seemingly indefinitely be picked up for $1 for the first three months, before returning to its regular price, meaning the total cost of Skyrim: Anniversary Edition would still only be $20.
Bethesda’s Presence On Xbox Game Pass
For Elder Scrolls fans concerned that they may simply lose their version of the game upon its removal from Game Pass, there’s little reason to be worried. As a result of Microsoft’s Bethesda acquisition early this year, it’s unlikely that any Bethesda game currently on Game Pass will be removed any time soon. Instead, it’s likely that even more fan-favourite Bethesda games will be added to the service as time goes on. Recently, an enhanced re-release of the original Quake was surprisingly dropped on Xbox Game Pass, joining the broad catalogue of Bethesda titles already available through the service. This makes Game Pass a great service for fans of Bethesda games, and is a big selling point for Xbox consoles.
In addition to the classic Bethesda games available through Game Pass right now, it looks as though Game Pass will be the home of future Bethesda classics as well. One of the surprise reveals of this year’s Microsoft and Bethesda joint E3 conference was that Starfield will be an Xbox exclusive title on launch. This was shocking to some, while others saw the writing on the wall upon the announcement of Microsoft’s Bethesda acquisition. But what was particularly exciting about this Starfield announcement was that Starfield will be available on day one through Game Pass. This will join a fellow new IP in the likes of Redfall, which is also set to debut on Game Pass next year.
It seems that, for the foreseeable future, Skyrim: Special Edition as well as every other Bethesda title currently available through Game Pass will continue to be playable through the service. The Bethesda catalogue on Game Pass continues to grow and expand, making the service a must-have for fans of Bethesda games, and the Skyrim: Anniversary Edition discount only adds further fuel to the fire. But given the extensive Bethesda catalogue on Game Pass, Skyrim: Anniversary Edition’s exclusion from the service does come as a surprise.
Skyrim: Anniversary Edition Should Be On Game Pass
Given the extensive collection of Bethesda Games on Game Pass, which grew by another 10 in June this year, Skyrim: Anniversary Edition’s absence is a glaring omission. More than anything, it feels like a missed opportunity for Skyrim: Anniversary Edition to gain a large player base, which it may not get otherwise. Given the many versions of Skyrim available right now, even for the $19 upgrade cost, the Anniversary Edition may struggle to win fans over. Whereas, if Skyrim: Anniversary Edition was free on Game Pass, the game could receive a large audience and Game Pass may receive a large influx of new subscribers.
Game Pass certainly doesn’t need any help on the subscribers front, as it is one of the largest gaming subscription services available right now. However, for the $1 a month for the first three months deal new Game Pass subscribers get, the service could have even further expanded its subscriber base, and the service’s large catalogue of games could have won these gamers over. Instead, while some will be tempted by the $19 upgrade option, it seems as though many may pass on the option to upgrade to Skyrim: Anniversary Edition, missing out on both the new Skyrim version and the hundreds of great games already on Game Pass.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim Anniversary Edition is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.