Beloved Open-World RPG Drops to Historically Low Steam Price (2024)

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim Special Edition is currently available at 80% off via Steam. The offer brings it down to $7.99, matching its lowest-ever price on Steam.

Bethesda has been holding Skyrim Special Edition sales on a near-monthly basis ever since debuting the popular remaster in October 2016. Almost exactly seven years later, the Steam version of the game dropped to $7.99 for the first time ever. That attractive offer reappeared ahead of Black Friday 2023, then reemerged once again over the two-week period ending January 4, 2024.

Skyrim Special and Anniversary Editions Are on Sale Until May 30

The hefty discount returned on May 23, once again allowing Steam users to grab Skyrim Special Edition for $7.99. While officially labeled as a weekend deal, the new sale is planned to run for a full week, with the offer itself being set to end on May 30. The ongoing promo also includes the Anniversary Edition of the game, which is currently available at 50% off or $9.99. That, too, is a historically low price on Valve's PC storefront. But seeing how the main difference between the Special and Anniversary Editions of Skyrim comes down to Creation Club content, price-conscious buyers won't miss too much if they opt for the slightly cheaper version; doubly so given how many Creation Club add-ons for the RPG have free alternatives, some of which were even made by the same modders.

Bethesda's fandom has long been aware of those minimal differences, as underlined by the fact that the Anniversary Edition of Skyrim continues to sit at "Mixed" reviews on Steam as of this writing, two and a half years following its release. Many of the negative reviews appear to argue that the publisher should not have attempted to charge for curated Skyrim mods with the Anniversary Edition.

Skyrim Special Edition Is Currently One of Steam's Top Sellers

Meanwhile, the Skyrim Special Edition remaster presently boasts over 160,000 "Very Positive" user reviews on the platform, and is still widely touted as one of the best open-world RPGs of its generation. That reputation paired well with this newly introduced discount, promptly propelling the game near the top of Steam's Top Sellers charts, where it ranks at number nine as of May 26, immediately behind Supergiant's hit Hades 2.

And while the latest mainline TES game is certainly showing some age nowadays, its vibrant modding scene and well-realized open world still make it a worthy consideration for RPG aficionados, especially those who have never experienced it. But even those who did now have a great opportunity to replay Skyrim on PC without breaking the bank.

Skyrim

Skyrim is a beloved game for a reason. There is so much to do in the game, and with the new anniversary updates, even veteran players will have a fresh experience if they haven’t played it in a few years.
Perfect for players who want to play Skyrim on the go, but don’t have a Steamdeck or another portable gaming system, this deal is likely not going to be repeated until end of year sales start going. Take the opportunity now to become the dragonborn on the Switch!

Franchise

The Elder Scrolls

Platform(s)

PC , PS3 , Xbox 360 , Xbox One , Xbox One X , Xbox Series S , PS4 , PS5 , Switch

Released

November 11, 2011

Developer(s)

Bethesda

Publisher(s)

Bethesda

Genre(s)

RPG , Action , Adventure

Engine

Creation

ESRB

M for Mature: Use of Alcohol, Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes

Expansions

Skyrim: Dragonborn , Skyrim: Hearthfire , Skyrim: Dawnguard

How Long To Beat

26 Hours

X|S Enhanced

Yes

File Size Xbox Series

30 GB (May 2024)

Metascore

96

PS Plus Availability

Extra & Premium

See at Bethesda OfficialSee at Playstation StoreSee at NintendoSee at Xbox Games StoreSee at SteamSee at Humble BundleSee at AmazonSee at Best Buy