According to GameSpot, Bethesda creative director Matt Carofano admitted that the studio’s many re-releases of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim have become “a bit of a joke.” He made the comments while discussing the new Switch 2 Anniversary Edition, which launched on December 9, 2024. The upgrade is free for existing Anniversary Edition owners on the original Switch, but costs $60 for new buyers and $20 for standard edition owners to upgrade first. Carofano said porting to the Switch 2 was a “really easy development process” focused on leveraging new hardware like DLSS and Joy-Con 2 mouse controls. However, players quickly discovered performance issues like input delay, which Bethesda says it is now investigating. The game has sold over 60 million copies since its 2011 debut, making it a top-10 best-seller.
The Joke Is On Us
Here’s the thing: when a developer openly calls their own product strategy a joke, you have to listen. It’s a rare moment of self-awareness in an industry that often takes itself too seriously. But let’s be real, the joke only works because we, the players, keep buying it. Todd Howard‘s infamous line, “If you want us to stop releasing it, stop buying it,” isn’t just a quip—it’s the entire business model. And it’s clearly working. Sixty million copies? That’s an empire built on one game. The Switch 2 version is just the latest chapter in a saga that has seen this RPG hit every major platform for over a decade. So, is it a cynical cash grab or a legitimate effort to keep a classic alive for new generations? Honestly, it’s probably both.
Porting Priorities And Problems
Carofano’s comments about the port being “pretty quick” and “easy” are telling. It explains a lot about the state of the launch. When the primary goal is to leverage new hardware features like DLSS and new controller functions, the foundational polish can sometimes slip. And that seems to be what happened. Input delay on a game this old, on hardware this capable, is a pretty bad look. It raises a question: if bringing it to a new console is so straightforward, why does it keep launching with issues? Bethesda’s promise to investigate is standard, but for a game that’s been re-released this many times, you’d expect a flawless technical presentation. It feels like the priority was hitting the Switch 2 launch window, not perfecting the experience.
The Eternal Wait For What’s Next
All of this underscores the giant, mammoth-sized shadow in the room: The Elder Scrolls VI. Announced in 2018 and still, as Howard said recently, “a long way off.” The endless re-releases of Skyrim are a direct result of that gap. Bethesda is milking its last single-player fantasy hit for all it’s worth because the next one is taking an astronomically long time. I think Howard admitting he wonders if announcing it so early was a mistake is the most honest thing anyone at Bethesda has said in years. They’ve created a cycle where the joke about Skyrim ports is a distraction from the increasingly anxious wait for its successor. Basically, they’re feeding us the same meal while promising a feast is coming… eventually.
A Legacy Defined By Community
So why does this keep working? Beyond the simple fact that it’s a great game, Skyrim’s true longevity engine isn’t Bethesda—it’s the modders. The vibrant mod scene is what constantly transforms and revitalizes the experience. That’s the real secret. The official re-releases, especially the Anniversary Edition with its bundled Creation Club content, are just Bethesda’s attempt to officially monetize and package that community spirit. It’s a clever, if somewhat transparent, strategy. The game’s own lead designer is surprised it hasn’t been eclipsed. But when players can endlessly reinvent your world for you, why would they ever truly leave? In the end, the joke might be on Bethesda, because the community owns Skyrim now. They’re just renting it back to us, one new console at a time.
