Elder Scrolls Blades surprise launches on Switch

(Image credit: Bethesda/Nintendo)

The mobile-friendly and free-to-play Elder Scrolls Blades has made its home console debut on the Nintendo Switch. Bethesda originally planned for Blades to release on Switch late last year.

Elder Scrolls Blades on Switch, or as Connor Sheridan insists we call it, Switchblades, supports full cross-play and cross-progression between Switch, iOS, and Android. That means you won't lose hours of progress making the leap to Switch, and you can still play with your friends on other platforms.

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The Switch version of Elder Scrolls Blades can be played in handheld or docked, and it supports both motion controls and traditional play with the Joy-Cons. And if you don't feel like trudging through the first few hours to get geared up, you can buy the Quick Start bundle for $15, and that includes legendary gear, 30 thousand Gold, 2 thousand Gems, building materials, and the exclusive Sylvan Fountain decoration.

For the uninitiated, Elder Scrolls Blades is a more linear Elder Scrolls game with dungeon-crawling and city-building aspects. It wasn't universally loved at launch, but Bethesda has listened to the community and made changes accordingly. For the entry fee of literally nothing, I'd say it's worth checking out if you're looking for an RPG on a smaller scale.

At the very least, it gives you something in the long wait for Elder Scrolls 6, which Bethesda has said is like still "years away."

Jordan Gerblick

After scoring a degree in English from ASU, I worked as a copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. Now, as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer, I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my apartment, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.