Elder Scrolls Blades is a beautiful, bespoke mobile game launching later this year
It might not be Elder Scrolls 6, but it does look amazing
We didn't quite expect to get not one, but two, Elder Scrolls games announced tonight. Of course, everyone is ridiculously hyped about Elder Scrolls 6, but actually the other ES game, Elder Scrolls Blade is going to be a brilliant stopgap. This game is built specifically for mobile, and seems to build on the successful control scheme Epic Games perfected with its own mobile title, Infinity Blade. It's coming to Android and iOS simultaneously (unlike what Bethesda did with Fallout Shelter) this fall, but you can pre-order now.
In The Elder Scrolls: Blades you play as one of the "empire's top agents", who returns home to find its been destroyed. You're forced into exile, and you'll be exploring hand-crafted and procedurally generated dungeons as you play. The control scheme allows you to attack and move using taps or virtual dual sticks - even in one-handed, portrait mode, which is basically unheard of for a mobile RPG. You'll be trying to upgrade and enhance your custom-made character, but also trying to rebuild your ruined town to create your own virtual city.
Oh, and have we mentioned that it looks amazing? This is quite the mobile game.
Although this is currently just a mobile release, there's a plan to eventually launch Elder Scrolls Blades for PCs, consoles, and virtual reality devices too. If you're interested, you can pre-register via the official website: playblades.com.
Be sure to check out the E3 2018 schedule to see when the other major players will announce their news, and keep an eye on our list of E3 2018 games to see all the titles coming your way.
Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter
Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more
Sam Loveridge is the Global Editor-in-Chief of GamesRadar, and joined the team in August 2017. Sam came to GamesRadar after working at TrustedReviews, Digital Spy, and Fandom, following the completion of an MA in Journalism. In her time, she's also had appearances on The Guardian, BBC, and more. Her experience has seen her cover console and PC games, along with gaming hardware, for a decade, and for GamesRadar, she's in charge of the site's overall direction, managing the team, and making sure it's the best it can be. Her gaming passions lie with weird simulation games, big open-world RPGs, and beautifully crafted indies. She plays across all platforms, and specializes in titles like Pokemon, Assassin's Creed, The Sims, and more. Basically, she loves all games that aren't sports or fighting titles! In her spare time, Sam likes to live like Stardew Valley by cooking and baking, growing vegetables, and enjoying life in the countryside.
"It makes me sick": Skyrim modder with 475,000 downloads, fed up with "daily harassment," abandons modding after "thousands of hours" of work on what she calls "the most advanced follower to ever exist"
Former The Elder Scrolls Online lead says Bethesda was such an amazing partner that it was harder to make a WoW-free MMO than it was to make a good Elder Scrolls MMO