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

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."

GOG does occasionally release more modern games, especially those published by its parent company, CD Projekt Red, but it's been on a recent push to highlight its retro and classic offerings. In a blog post in April, the team announced that one of its goals for 2022 was "for GOG to become, once again, the best place for the classic PC games."

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.

Who knows, perhaps The Elder Scrolls 6 will show up on GOG some time in the late 2030s.