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The Elder Scrolls is an action role-playing open world video game series developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. The Elder Scrolls games take place in the fictional world of Nirn, on the continent of Tamriel. The first game, The Elder Scrolls: Arena, was released in 1994. It was intended for players to assume the ...
TitleRelease DetailsThe Elder Scrolls: Castles [25]Genre: Construction and management ...Genre: Action role-playing Publisher: ...Genre: Collectible card Publisher: ...Genre: Action role-playing Publisher: ...- The Elder Scrolls timeline for every game and expansion.
- How Many Elder Scrolls Games Are There?
- Which Elder Scrolls Game Should You Play First?
- Elder Scrolls Games in Chronological Order
- 1. The Elder Scrolls Online
- 2. The Elder Scrolls Online - Morrowind
- 3. The Elder Scrolls Online - Summerset
- 4. The Elder Scrolls Online - Elsweyr
- 5. The Elder Scrolls Online - Greymoor
- 6. The Elder Scrolls Online - Blackwood
- GeneratedCaptionsTabForHeroSec
By Callum Williams
Updated: Dec 8, 2023 10:20 pm
Posted: Dec 6, 2023 7:20 pm
With a lineage spanning back to 1994, it’s difficult to talk about RPGs without mentioning Bethesda Studios’ flagship franchise, the Elder Scrolls. Whether your first adventure across Tamriel came while battling the vicious dragon Alduin in 2011’s Skyrim or you’ve been following the franchise ever since saving Emperor Uriel Septim’s life in Arena almost three decades ago, chances are you’ve dabbled in one of these seminal fantasy epics.
With so many Elder Scrolls games now available to play, any newcomers looking to get into the series are probably wondering where to start. Luckily, we’ve got you covered. Below, we’ve assembled a chronological timeline of every Elder Scrolls game and major expansion, showing you how to play the series in order. We still have a long time to wait for Elder Scrolls VI after all.
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There are a total of 27 games and expansions in the Elder Scrolls timeline - 4 exclusively on PC, 18 on home console and 5 on mobile devices. All of these games are canon to the timeline, telling stories set in the fictional world of Tamriel. Although some span multiple provinces, each entry in the series tends to focus on a specific continent or region of Tamriel, whether that’s the murky swamps of Morrowind, the snowy mountains of Skyrim or the sunny meadows of Cyrodiil.
There are only two games that won’t feature on this timeline, and that’s because they don’t specify the year or era in which they take place. These are The Elder Scrolls Travels: Dawnstar and The Elder Scrolls Travels: Stormhold. Both mobile dungeon-crawler spin-offs are isolated from the events of any other Elder Scrolls game, making it very difficult to place them on the timeline. With that in mind, let’s run through the chronological order of every other game in the series.
If you're new to the world of Elder Scrolls, you're most likely going to want to start with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. It is the most recent game in the series, other than Elder Scrolls Online, and it is playable on just about every platform. Although there is lore and references from previous games, you won't be missing out on much by starting here.
For Switch
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
For PlayStation
Skyrim Anniversary Edition
For PC
These blurbs contain mild spoilers for each game, including characters, settings, and story beats.
The first mark on the timeline, The Elder Scrolls Online offers a fully online version of Tamriel, allowing groups of players to team up and explore some of the franchise’s most iconic regions. Set during the Second Age, the story takes place during a time when the Imperial throne lies empty and Tamriel is without a ruler.
With no emperor residing over Tamriel, three factions rise to fight over the throne, with the land’s fiercest warriors taking part in a battle known as the Alliance War. However, politics are the least of their worries, as Molag Bal, an ancient Daedric Prince, has initiated an event known as the Planemeld. This cataclysmic ritual threatens to merge Tamriel with the apocalyptic realm of Coldharbour, forever transforming it into a desolate wasteland.
The first major expansion added to Bethesda’s online take on the franchise, The Elder Scrolls Online - Morrowind allows players to venture to the titular elven region years before the events of the Elder Scrolls III. It follows a story set in the realm of Vvardenfell, with the Vestige aiding one of the Tribunal gods, Vivec, as they attempt to stamp out a new Daedric threat and stop a meteor hurtling towards the island.
Read our review of The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind.
The second major expansion added to The Elder Scrolls Online, Summerset takes place in the eponymous home of the High Elves. Players venture to Summerset as a new Daedric threat looms, investigating a cult known as the Court of Bedlam. As the Vestige learns more about the Daedric followers’ plans, they rally with allies to stop them.
Read our review of The Elder Scrolls Online: Summerset.
Elder Scrolls Online’s third major expansion, Elsweyr transports players to the titular homeland of the Khajiti, which has been invaded by hordes of dragons. Long thought to be extinct, the Vestige heads to Elsweyr to defeat the flying beats while investigating the reason being their mysterious return.
Read our review of The Elder Scrolls Online: Elsweyr.
The fourth major expansion added to The Elder Scrolls Online, Greymoor takes players to Skyrim years before the events of The Elder Scrolls V. Sent to investigate a series of mysterious supernatural storms, the Vestige heads to the home of the Nords, finding themselves facing off against a powerful vampire lord and his ancient army, the Gray Host. Battling vampires, werewolves, zombies and other monsters, they must fight to save Skyrim from its undead invaders.
Read our review of The Elder Scrolls Online: Greymoor.
The Elder Scrolls Online’s fifth major expansion, Blackwood is set in the marshes just beyond Leyawin, taking players to the setting of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion hundreds of years before the events of the game. The Vestige ventures to the region after learning that a cult known as the Longhouse Emperors have entered into a pact with the Daedric Prince of Destruction, Mehrunes Dagon. Hoping to stop the demonic god, the Vestige teams up with new allies in an effort to end his monstrous ambitions.
Read our review of The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood.
Learn how to play the Elder Scrolls games in order of their timeline, from The Elder Scrolls Online to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Find out the story, setting and platform of each game and expansion in the fantasy RPG franchise.
The Elder Scrolls is a series of action role-playing video games primarily developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. The series focuses on free-form gameplay in an open world.
Explore the latest news, updates and events for Skyrim and other Elder Scrolls games. Watch the Skyrim In Concert, play the free dungeon crawler Blades, and get ready for the next chapter in the series.
Jul 22, 2022 · Learn how to make sense of the Elder Scrolls franchise's strange timeline, from The Elder Scrolls Online to The Elder Scrolls: Arena. Discover the events, characters, and locations that connect the games across hundreds of years.
Dec 19, 2023 · Learn everything we know about the upcoming sequel to Skyrim, including its potential platforms, setting, gameplay and release year. The Elder Scrolls 6 is still in early development and won't be out until at least 2028, according to Bethesda.
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Mar 25, 2024 · Over the years the Elder Scrolls series has become a core part of PC gaming even as, following Morrowind's success on Xbox, it became more console-oriented (most noticeably, the interfaces)....
