Even though The Elder Scrolls 6 is years away, it’s interesting to speculate about what Bethesda may do to make the series even better. The inclusion of multiplayer modes, and in particular cooperative modes, is something to think about.
Until the release of Elder Scrolls Online, all of The Elder Scrolls mainline games were solo adventures. Mods that provide multiplayer support have been popular as of late, especially the Skyrim Together Reborn mod. This, if nothing else, argues in favor of a cooperative multiplayer mode in The Elder Scrolls 6.
How would multiplayer work?
First and foremost, any multiplayer in The Elder Scrolls 6 should be completely voluntary. This is done so that fans of Skyrim Together Reborn are satisfied without compromising the game for those who like the traditional single-player mode. It not only increases the game’s replay value but also makes it more accessible to gamers who aren’t familiar with The Elder Scrolls franchise.
However, if Bethesda decides to implement multiplayer co-op, some details will need to be worked out that weren’t addressed in Skyrim Together Reborn. When the multiplayer mod is enabled, some features, such as waiting and sleeping, are disabled since they could cause issues when trying to keep everyone in sync with their respective game worlds. The same holds true for quest progression and movement synchronization issues. Finally, it can be difficult to test whether or not a given modification would affect all members of a certain party when the game supports multiplayer.
Skyrim Together Reborn
In the summer of 2022, the Skyrim Together Reborn mod was initially made available for download. It’s been called a passion project, built with the efforts of a tiny team of volunteers on its Nexus Mods page. Given that Skyrim Together Reborn is a fan-made modification, it’s not surprising that there are a few glitches, and a few features were cut to make multiplayer run more smoothly. In any case, it’s the best and most fully-featured multiplayer mod for Skyrim that has been released so far.
Just over 600,000 copies of Skyrim Together Reborn have been downloaded since the mod was released. Popular Skyrim content developers have also spoken out about the mod, complimenting it for what it has accomplished and how it has given players a fresh way to enjoy a game that is nearly a decade old: with friends.
The Elder Scrolls 6 could benefit from a similar addition if Bethesda decides to include it. After all, the success of Skyrim Together Reborn has demonstrated that many players are interested in a more intimate multiplayer experience set in the Elder Scrolls universe. Skyrim Together Reborn, in contrast to The Elder Scrolls Online, offers a more personal and secluded adventure. It’s a great way for a small group of friends to hang out and have some harmless fun without the stress and commitment of a massively multiplayer online role-playing game.
