The Elder Scrolls: Blades is now playable for everyone: no need to register for early access or even to log in with a Bethesda.net account. Bethesda's mobile take on the Elder Scrolls formula first went into early access in March, and though it's still technically in a pre-release state, anybody with a supported iOS or Android device is now free to download the app and start playing.
You can download The Elder Scrolls: Blades on the iOS App Store here or on Android's Google Play here. Most of the game's files will download via an in-game update rather than through the download store, so make sure you open it up and get it going while you're on good wifi.
Early Access for all! #Blades is now open to all players—no Bethesda net account required.Play now via @AppStoreGames or @GooglePlay: https://t.co/9eIZWnRF3E pic.twitter.com/gAH1epmqDDMay 2, 2019
Bethesda said when it first announced The Elder Scrolls: Blades that the game would also likely come to PC and consoles, but it hasn't made any new announcements about if or when we can expect those versions to arrive. As it stands now, Blades feels like a modern mobile game in both good and bad ways: our review-in-progress says it's fun to play and easy to pick up for short bursts that keep you coming back for more, but also hamstrung by an overly aggressive microtransaction scheme that gates much of the game behind frustrating timers.
Still, you can't argue with the appeal of delving into dungeons and bopping skeletons around with your sword on mobile, and Bethesda has plenty of room to change its business strategy up while Blades remains in early access. This is probably the most new Elder Scrolls we'll get until The Elder Scrolls 6 shows up, so we'll probably be spending a lot of time with Blades either way.
If you're looking for more adventure to keep you busy in the meantime, read our guide to games like Skyrim. Or check out our everything you can't miss in games and entertainment this week in our latest Release Radar video.
