The Elder Scrolls
The Elder Scrolls is a franchise of open-world fantasy RPGs developed by Bethesda Game Studios (a ZeniMax/Microsoft subsidiary), serving global PC, console, and mobile gamers with Skyrim Anniversary Edition, Oblivion Remastered, Castles, and the Creations modding marketplace.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2026
- HeadquartersRockville, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What The Elder Scrolls does
The Elder Scrolls is a franchise of open-world fantasy role-playing video games created and developed by Bethesda Game Studios, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ZeniMax Media Inc., which was acquired by Microsoft Corporation in 2021 for approximately $7.5 billion. The franchise serves global gaming consumers across PC, console, and mobile platforms, with a primary audience of open-world RPG players seeking extensive exploration, character customization, modding capabilities, and immersive fantasy experiences. The series spans titles from Morrowind and Oblivion (2006) to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011), the massively multiplayer The Elder Scrolls Online, and the mobile spin-off The Elder Scrolls: Castles (2024).
The active product portfolio centers on five properties: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition (a bundled edition including Creation Club content and the Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and Dragonborn expansions); The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered (a 2025 Unreal Engine 5 visual and gameplay overhaul co-developed with Virtuos Studios, available in Standard and Deluxe editions); The Elder Scrolls: Castles (a mobile castle-management and dynasty-building title); the Bethesda Game Studios Creations platform (a unified marketplace combining mods, Creation Club items, and new community Creations with a Verified Creator Program enabling paid monetization); and The Elder Scrolls VI, currently in pre-production. Distribution spans Steam, the Xbox Store including Game Pass, PlayStation Store, Nintendo eShop on Switch and Switch 2, and Apple App Store / Google Play.
The franchise's revenue model is built on three streams: one-time perpetual licenses for premium console and PC titles across multiple editions; a freemium mobile model with in-app purchases on Castles; and a marketplace commission on the Creations platform where community creators earn royalties. Go-to-market is product-led, leveraging major release events, anniversary editions, and remasters to maintain audience engagement between mainline titles, supported by a multi-channel marketing presence across official websites, social media, Discord, gaming events (including the Skyrim 10th Anniversary Concert with the London Symphony Orchestra), and platform-specific storefronts. The franchise maintains global reach with no disclosed geographic restrictions.
The Elder Scrolls firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Elder Scrolls
- Legal name
- ZeniMax Media Inc.
- Website
- https://elderscrolls.bethesda.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2026
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- The Elder Scrolls is a franchise of open-world fantasy RPGs developed by Bethesda Game Studios (a ZeniMax/Microsoft subsidiary), serving global PC, console, and mobile gamers with Skyrim Anniversary Edition, Oblivion Remastered, Castles, and the Creations modding marketplace.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Elder Scrolls industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Open-World Fantasy RPG Video Games
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cloud Gaming Storefronts & Channels (MPAFACAF)
Keywords
Where The Elder Scrolls is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Rockville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
The Elder Scrolls business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Video Game Sales: Primary revenue from selling full game titles and anniversary editions. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition is sold as a full product, with Digital Upgrade options for existing owners. Oblivion Remastered is sold in Standard and Deluxe editions.
- Creation Club / Creations: Revenue from community creators selling their creations within Skyrim Special Edition through the Creations platform. Creators can earn royalties for each Creation sold. Creation Credits are used for purchases.
- Mobile Gaming - The Elder Scrolls: Castles: Mobile game available on iOS and Google Play. The game is described as immediately accessible and easy to pick up, following the Fallout Shelter model with in-game purchases potentially available.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition - Full Edition |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Skyrim Anniversary Edition Digital Upgrade |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Oblivion Remastered - Standard Edition |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Oblivion Remastered - Deluxe Edition |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Skyrim Anniversary Edition on Nintendo Switch 2 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
The Elder Scrolls product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Elder Scrolls is a franchise of open-world fantasy role-playing video games developed and published by Bethesda Game Studios. It sells mainline premium titles, remasters, and a mobile spin-off to consumers across PC, console, and mobile storefronts, and supports the games with the Bethesda Game Studios Creations community-content platform for Skyrim Special Edition. The current active lineup centers on Skyrim Anniversary Edition, Oblivion Remastered (co-developed with Virtuos Studios), The Elder Scrolls: Castles, and The Elder Scrolls Online.
Product overview
The Elder Scrolls is a franchise of open-world role-playing games developed by Bethesda Game Studios. The current portfolio includes The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition (the definitive version of the acclaimed 2011 RPG with all expansions and Creation Club content), The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered (a 2025 remake of the 2006 classic with modern graphics via Unreal Engine 5), and The Elder Scrolls: Castles (a mobile dynasty-management game). The ecosystem is supported by Bethesda Game Studios Creations, a modding and community content platform for Skyrim Special Edition, while The Elder Scrolls VI remains in pre-production as the announced next mainline entry.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Elder Scrolls Online: Massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) set in the Elder Scrolls universe
- The Elder Scrolls: Castles
- Skyrim Anniversary Edition
- Oblivion Remastered
Products and services
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition The definitive version of the 2011 open-world RPG Skyrim, bundling Skyrim Special Edition with all Creation Club content and the three official expansions Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and Dragonborn. Winner of over 200 Game of the Year awards, available on Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, Steam, and PC for individual fantasy RPG players.
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered A 2025 remaster of the 2006 Game of the Year RPG The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, co-developed with Virtuos Studios using Unreal Engine 5 to deliver modernized visuals, advanced real-time lighting, refined sprinting and combat, a redesigned hybrid Oblivion/Skyrim leveling system, and quality-of-life improvements. Sold in Standard and Deluxe editions and also available via Xbox Game Pass to individual fantasy RPG players.
- The Elder Scrolls: Castles A mobile castle-building and dynasty management game set in the Elder Scrolls universe where each real-life day represents a year in-game. Players manage castle resources, assign subjects to workstations, train heroes for quests, and make kingdom decisions that impact their dynasty's legacy. Available on iOS and Google Play for individual mobile strategy/management players.
- Bethesda Game Studios Creations An enhanced content platform that unifies community-made mods, Creation Club items, and new Creations for Skyrim Special Edition under a single in-game menu. Allows Verified Creators to upload, share, and monetize content (earning royalties via Creation Credits) with players browsing and downloading directly in-game across PC (Steam, Microsoft Store, Epic), Xbox, and PlayStation.
- The Elder Scrolls Online A massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) set in the Elder Scrolls universe, sold to individual players and operated as an ongoing online service.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 200 Game of the Year awards for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Elder Scrolls
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Elder Scrolls technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
The Elder Scrolls partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Virtuos StudioscoreVirtuos Studios collaborated with Bethesda Game Studios on The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered. The partnership allowed Oblivion Remastered to remain faithful to the original vision while providing a visual overhaul and modern refinements using Unreal Engine 5. Executive Producer Alex Murphy stated 'Oblivion is the heart and soul of the Remaster' with the game running on modernized systems.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Elder Scrolls competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Naughty Dog: Sony-owned developer of The Last of Us and Uncharted. Comparable premium-priced single-player narrative-driven franchise publisher with similar AAA scope, decade-long IP exploitation, and remaster/PC-port strategy.
- Larian Studios: Independent developer of Baldur's Gate 3 and the Divinity series. Directly competes with The Elder Scrolls for the same core single-player RPG audience, with comparable depth in questing, character builds, and mod-friendly PC-first design.
- Obsidian Entertainment: RPG developer of Avowed, The Outer Worlds, and Fallout: New Vegas. Direct competitor in the single-player RPG category and a fellow Microsoft-owned studio, making both Bethesda Game Studios and Obsidian peers within the same Xbox strategy.
- FromSoftware: Developer of Elden Ring, Dark Souls, and the SoulsBorne franchise. Comparable premium-priced single-player fantasy RPG developer operating at similar AAA scope and price points as Bethesda Game Studios' mainline Elder Scrolls titles.
- CD Projekt Red: Developer of The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077. Closely comparable open-world narrative RPG developer with a single major fantasy franchise at AAA scale, similar modding and PC-centric community dynamics.
- BioWare: Developer of Dragon Age, Mass Effect, and Baldur's Gate. Long-established premium single-player RPG developer operating at a similar franchise-scale cadence (long development cycles, multi-platform releases, expansion-based monetization).
Broad incumbents
- Rockstar Games: Developer of Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption. Larger open-world, single-player-driven franchise publisher whose monetization arcs (GTA V re-releases, Red Dead re-release) bracket the same premium-priced remaster strategy as Skyrim Anniversary Edition.
- Ubisoft: Publisher of Assassin's Creed, The Elder Scrolls Online competitor for live-service, and Far Cry. Broader open-world incumbent whose premium franchise releases overlap directly with Elder Scrolls audiences and platform strategy.
- Square Enix: Publisher/developer of Final Fantasy XVI, Dragon Quest, and the legacy Tomb Raider catalogue. Broader RPG and action-adventure incumbent with comparable portfolio IP, premium pricing, and multi-platform strategy.
Others
- id Software: Fellow ZeniMax/Bethesda-owned studio developing DOOM and Quake. Sister studio within the same Microsoft-owned organization with shared R&D, engine know-how, and Bethesda publishing infrastructure.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Elder Scrolls social profiles
Digital presenceThe Elder Scrolls financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Elder Scrolls leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
The Elder Scrolls subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
The Elder Scrolls funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Elder Scrolls M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Elder Scrolls
What does The Elder Scrolls do?
The Elder Scrolls is a franchise of open-world fantasy role-playing video games developed and published by Bethesda Game Studios. It sells mainline premium titles, remasters, and a mobile spin-off to consumers across PC, console, and mobile storefronts, and supports the games with the Bethesda Game Studios Creations community-content platform for Skyrim Special Edition. The current active lineup centers on Skyrim Anniversary Edition, Oblivion Remastered (co-developed with Virtuos Studios), The Elder Scrolls: Castles, and The Elder Scrolls Online.
Is The Elder Scrolls a public or private company?
The Elder Scrolls is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was The Elder Scrolls founded?
The Elder Scrolls was founded in 2026. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is The Elder Scrolls based?
The Elder Scrolls is headquartered in Rockville, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Elder Scrolls make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Video Game Sales are the primary driver. The others are creation Club / Creations and mobile Gaming - The Elder Scrolls: Castles.
Who are The Elder Scrolls's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Naughty Dog, Larian Studios, Obsidian Entertainment, FromSoftware, CD Projekt Red and BioWare. Broad incumbents are Rockstar Games, Ubisoft and Square Enix. id Software is listed as an others.
Does The Elder Scrolls have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Elder Scrolls.
What industry is The Elder Scrolls in?
The Elder Scrolls's product category is Open-World Fantasy RPG Video Games. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAFACAF, Cloud Gaming Storefronts & Channels. Its SIC code is 7990.