Skyrim takes another step towards retro status with a new GOG release

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Those arrows are starting to hit some pretty creaky old knees

Skyrim
(Image credit: Skyrim)

Skyrim has taken another step towards being a retro title, with its launch on GOG.

Earlier today, the PC platform - which specialises in bringing "classic" titles to a modern storefront - announced its 14th anniversary with the news that The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim would be coming to GOG. In a press release, the company said that "after many requests from our users," the RPG would be available via its Special Edition and last year's Anniversary Edition, with both options subject to steep discounts.

Building on GOG's focus as a DRM-free platform, its version of Skyrim will be playable entirely offline, cutting the need to log into the game's Creation Club to access the extra content available in the Anniversary Edition. Noting the importance of Skyrim's modding scene, the GOG version is also "compatible out of the box" with most of what Nexus Mods offers. Mods that require the Skyrim Script Extender mod should be given support later today, and there's more on the way to help "provide an even smoother modding experience."

It's hard to classify Skyrim when it comes to words like 'retro' or 'classic', not least because its Anniversary Edition was only released last year (and earlier today on Nintendo Switch). But the fifth Elder Scrolls game is already nearing its 11th birthday, and some might argue that ten years is old enough to consign a game to the history books. Whether you agree with that sentiment or not, it's clear that its arrival on the definitive classic games storefront is a firm step towards retro territory.

Ali Jones
Ali Jones
Managing Editor, News

I'm GamesRadar's Managing Editor for news, shaping the news strategy across the team. I started my journalistic career while getting my degree in English Literature at the University of Warwick, where I also worked as Games Editor on the student newspaper, The Boar. Since then, I've run the news sections at PCGamesN and Kotaku UK, and also regularly contributed to PC Gamer. As you might be able to tell, PC is my platform of choice, so you can regularly find me playing League of Legends or Steam's latest indie hit.