Bethesda's iOS game "The Elder Scrolls: Blades" has begun rolling out in early access this week, after facing numerous delays in 2018 (via TouchArcade). The game was first announced at E3 2018, and then showcased by Bethesda Game Studios director Todd Howard at Apple's "Gather Round" iPhone XS event in September 2018.

elder scrolls at event
As of now, the game is in early access and Bethesda is sending out invites in waves. If you're interested, you can create a Bethesda account to sign up for early access on the company's website, and more information about the program can be found on the game's FAQ page.

Apple used the mobile game as a way to showcase the A12 Bionic chip on the newest generation of iPhone devices. During the event, Howard said that Blades is a massive, first person role-playing game that is full of quests for players to complete in an open world.


In the game, you play as a member of the Blades, a group of the Empire's top agents who are forced into exile, forcing you to return to your hometown in an effort to help rebuild it. The game's App Store page highlights features like dungeon questing, city customization, player-versus-player arena battles, character and gear editing, and more.

The Elder Scrolls: Blades is available to download from the iOS ‌App Store‌ for free [Direct Link]. As with most free-to-play games, there are in-app purchases of up to $99.99.

Top Rated Comments

Scottsoapbox Avatar
85 months ago
I would gladly pay $99 for a premium full game (not free to play) mobile version of Elder Scrolls. But those days are gone as all the money is in gambling and addiction based mechanisms to keep you buying in app purchases.
-sigh-
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
69Mustang Avatar
85 months ago
I hope. I admit I’m part of the problem where I only play free games...but I never do in app purchases. For $10 a month unlimited games and no in app purchases, I might do that.
This is what Apple is going to have to overcome with Arcade. The vast majority of mobile gamers play free games. It's what they're used to, and based on revenue, it's what they like. I'm skeptical Apple is going to be able to convince the IAP crowd to fork over $10 a month. Mobile gaming to me is simply a distraction or time killer, not a destination. I think it's the same for a lot of people. Arcade is going to need compelling content to even have a glimmer of a chance.

I'm not opposed to gaming subscription. I have an XBox Game Pass which is well worth it considering I paid $100 for a year. $100 is the cost of a typical AAA title + dlc season pass. Worth it.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Saipher Avatar
85 months ago
I would gladly pay $99 for a premium full game (not free to play) mobile version of Elder Scrolls. But those days are gone as all the money is in gambling and addiction based mechanisms to keep you buying in app purchases.
-sigh-
Hopefully Apple Arcade will fix that.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kcslc Avatar
85 months ago
I would gladly pay $99 for a premium full game (not free to play) mobile version of Elder Scrolls. But those days are gone as all the money is in gambling and addiction based mechanisms to keep you buying in app purchases.
-sigh-
Well, Nintendo released a game with a single IAP of $9.99 to unlock the whole game. The whining about the price on this forum was immeasurable. It was one of the best mobile games I’ve ever played. It was fresh, challenging, and an innovative way to play a platformer with one hand. Well worth the $10.

I guess Nintendo should have implemented consumable micro transactions up to and including purchases of $99.99 like this Bethesda game and it would have been hailed as the game of all games on iOS.

I seriously don’t get people who play games on mobile. It simply is not worth the time, energy, or money.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
err404 Avatar
85 months ago
Not all games are poison just because you have to pay for them upfront, Grid, Rush Rally 3 to name 2, the freemium model killed mobile gaming as it’s akin to gambling, Apple won’t include them purely because it gets far far far far more money from the freemium model as do the devs.

I don’t think what Apple is offering will last long or will be any good.
I was specifically referring to IAP for consumables as being poison. I should have been more clear.
I do enjoy premium titles on iOS, but have frequently been burned by those as well. More often than not, premium titles are abandoned. Bugs are left unpatched and instead of fixing issues when an iOS patch breaks functionality, the games are often just pulled off of the store.
I am cautiously optimistic of Apple Arcade because it could offer what I am looking for out of mobile gaming; well supported premium games that don’t have IAP.
Remember that this will live along side the current App Store and will likely appeal to gamers who are otherwise not spending any money on IAP today. This could be a new and largely untapped revenue stream for Apple that if done well could increase overall store profits. I can almost guarantee that the average iOS user spends less per month today than this new service will charge.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
apolloa Avatar
85 months ago
That’s the point. The funding model of those titles are poison to quality gaming. They can remain in the main App Store, but I will be far more interested in Apple Arcade titles that should all be premium quality games with long term support like freemium.
I think a lot of people are missing this side of the Apple Arcade proposal; premium games get released and abandoned because the money dries up after the first month. Freemium games are continuously updated to keep customers coming back, but sacrifice quality game balancing. Apple Arcade will be Premium games that continue to generate revenue after the initial release so devs have an incentive to keep them fresh.
Not all games are poison just because you have to pay for them upfront, Grid, Rush Rally 3 to name 2, the freemium model killed mobile gaming as it’s akin to gambling, Apple won’t include them purely because it gets far far far far more money from the freemium model as do the devs.

I don’t think what Apple is offering will last long or will be any good.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro and Air Feature

Two iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air Colors Appear to Scratch More Easily

Friday September 19, 2025 10:02 am PDT by
As reported by Bloomberg today, some of the new iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air models on display at Apple Stores today are already scratched and scuffed. French blog Consomac also reported on this topic. The scratches appear to be most prominent on models with darker finishes, including the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max in Deep Blue, and the iPhone Air in Space Black. Images Credit: Consoma ...
iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.1 Beta 1

Monday September 22, 2025 12:44 pm PDT by
Apple released the first beta of iOS 26.1 today, just a week after launching iOS 26. iOS 26.1 mainly adds new languages to Apple Intelligence, but there are a few other features that are worth knowing about. New Apple Intelligence Languages Apple Intelligence is now available in Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese. AirPo...
apple tv 4k new orange

Next Apple TV Expected to Launch This Year With These New Features

Monday September 22, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
The next Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Likely Features N1 Chip With Wi-Fi 7 Last year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the next Apple TV would be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, which is...
Apple Intelligence General Feature 2

iOS 26.1 Adds New Apple Intelligence Languages and Expands AirPods Live Translation

Monday September 22, 2025 11:15 am PDT by
With iOS 26.1, Apple Intelligence is gaining support for additional languages, including Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese. Apple announced plans to expand the languages that can be used with Apple Intelligence last year, and now the added language support is here. Apple Intelligence is now available in the following...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone Like 'Two Titanium iPhone Airs' Joined at the Hinge

Monday September 22, 2025 2:16 am PDT by
Next year's rumored foldable iPhone will showcase an ultra-thin design resembling "two titanium iPhone Airs side-by-side," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Writing in the Q&A section of his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman says Apple's first foldable device will be "super thin and a design achievement," combining Apple's thinnest iPhone form factor with cutting-edge folding...
iPhone 17 Pro and Air N1 Feature

Some iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone Air Users Experiencing Intermittent Wi-Fi Issue

Monday September 22, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple's latest iPhone models launched on Friday, and some early adopters of the devices are experiencing intermittent Wi-Fi issues. Affected customers say Wi-Fi connectivity periodically cuts out on the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air, with hundreds of comments about the issue posted across the MacRumors Forums, Reddit, and the Apple Support Community over the...
iOS 26

iOS 26.0.1 Coming Soon, Likely With iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro Fix

Thursday September 18, 2025 9:17 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to release iOS 26.0.1, according to a private account on X with a proven track record of sharing information about future iOS versions. The update will have a build number of 23A350, or similar, the account said. It is likely that iOS 26.0.1 will fix a camera-related bug on the new iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro models. In his iPhone Air review, CNN Underscored's Henry T. ...