What Is Included In The Skyrim Anniversary Edition?

Skyrim Anniversary Edition launches 11/11/21, exactly ten years after Skyrim first launched. Skyrim quickly achieved mainstream success and captured the hearts of a younger generation of Elder Scrolls fans.

Bethesda Game Studios announced the Skyrim Anniversary Edition. The announcement was met with a mixed bag of reactions. Regardless, they announced this version will include all creation club content, alongside some new never-before-seen content add-ons for Skyrim.

For a game a decade old, many are confused as to what exactly is included in this definitive anniversary super special edition of Skyrim.

Next-gen Console Updates

Bethesda confirmed that Xbox Series X|S and PS5 will be receiving an update focused on improved graphics, load times, and “more.”

Since Skyrim Special Edition on Xbox Series X|S already has a “frame boost” feature targeted 60 fps using hardware technology. It is likely Bethesda will update the game’s default-settings.cfg file for consoles to render at 60fps for all new hardware.

These updates roll out to anyone who owns Skyrim Special Edition.

Four Free Creation Club Add-ons

- Saints & Seducers – adds new creatures, items, armors, dungeons, and more harkening back to Morrowind. Includes two main quests and side quests.
- Rare Curios – adds herbs, alchemy items, and ingredients fans will recognize from Morrowind. Buy them from Khajiit caravans and craft new poisons, arrows and more.
- Survival Mode – survival mode adds new gameplay elements. Players cannot fast travel and they must eat food, sleep, and stay warm in order to effectively navigate Skyrim’s harsh environment. This add-on is a must-play, it adds depth to Skyrim in many unforeseen ways.
- Fishing – fishing is technically the add-on that will be new for everyone. Fishing has not been a gameplay mechanic, until now. Players can catch fish to cook or keep as now you can add aquariums to your player homes. Most fans are eagerly awaiting this add-on as the community has requested it since launch in 2011.

These add-ons come FREE to all Skyrim Special Edition owners. You do not need to purchase the Anniversary Edition to access these new Skyrim add-ons from the Creation Club.

Creation Club Content Included in Anniversary Edition Purchase

Skyrim Anniversary Edition is a $20 upgrade for existing owners of Skyrim Special Edition. For $20 you get ALL existing Creation Club items up to this point. Here is a list of everything in the Creation Club along with its listed price:

Survival Mode – 500 credits – Survive in Skyrim facing cold, fatigue, and hunger as you quest.
Arcane Accessories – 100 credits – Robes, tomes, spell bonuses and more. Items are part of a quest and appear in containers/chests in Skyrim.
Arcane Archer Pack – 150 credits – New arrow variations and powers for archers. Magical fire, frost, and elemental arrows.
Chrysamere – 300 credits – a new two-handed weapon is known as the Paladin’s Blade with magic abilities.
Divine Crusader – 500 credits – wear the armor of the Divine Crusader from the Oblivion DLC, Knights of the Nine, obtained through a quest.
Plague of the Dead – 400 credits – at night there is a chance of a horde of zombies to rise from the dead. New spells and ingredients added.
Ruin’s Edge – 400 credits – Dark bow of Syl, Duchess of Dementia. Each shot has a random spell effect.
Staff of Sheogorath – 250 credits – obtained through a quest, wield this symbolic staff of the Madgod and wreak havoc on your opponents.
Stendarr’s Hammer – 200 credits – obtain the rumored hammer of the God Stendarr through a quest.
Dwarven Armored Mudcrab – 50 credits – this little dude follows you around, beats up bad mudcrabs, and carries your excess gear.
Lord’s Mail – 300 credits – obtain an Imperial Chainmail piece that has serious passive perks. Kill some thieving Redguards to obtain it.
Adventurer’s Backpack – 400 credits – tons of variations of the backpack to fit your character’s build. Carry more weight and look like a real adventurer.
Camping – 300 credits – adds camping as a gameplay mechanic and complements Survival mode extremely well.
Nix-Hound – 200 credits – those annoying dog-like bugs from Morrowind that carry every disease under the sun? Get one as a pet in Solstheim.
Shadowrend – 300 credits – a legendary weapon that has a surprise boss…you.
Tundra Homestead – 300 credits – awesome home just east of Whiterun. Likely the coolest home in the game.
Myrwatch – 400 credits – a player home fit for a mage.
Nordic Jewelry – 200 credits – can’t Fus Ro Dah without some serious bling on your fingers.
Pets of Skyrim – 300 credits – Five species, tons of feels, each has a unique ability to aide the player.
Rare Curios – 100 credits – mentioned above, Khajiits have wares and you have coins to buy some rare ingredients for alchemists.
Bone Wolf – 200 credits – a dog fit for Lord Harkon himself, or his usurper.
Staff of Hasedoki – 250 credits – staff of a legendary wizard who said “okiedokie” when binding his soul to this staff.
Wild Horses – 500 credits – pretty stallions that you can tame…rumor has it there’s a unicorn out there.
Civil War Champions – 600 credits – choose your side, duke it out with the opposing champion and loot their epic armor.
Elite Crossbows – 400 credits – adds more crossbows that do incredible damage.
Forgotten Seasons – 1200 credits – huge questline that adds tons of items, rewards, mounts, perks, and more.
Saturalia Holiday Pack – 300 credits – Skyrim Santa is coming to town.
Sunder & Wraithguard – 500 credits – Morrowind throwback to epic tools created to change the world via the Heart of Lorkhan.
Vigil Enforcer Armor Set – 600 credits – for the righteous Skyrim player who loves Stendarr.
Arms of Chaos – 500 credits – items and weapons rooted in Elder Scrolls lore.
Shadowfoot Sanctum – 400 credits – epic player home in the Ratway in Riften. Keep it secret, keep it safe.
Spell Knight Armor – 400 credits – spell armor variants to scratch that battlemage itch we all have from playing Oblivion.
Umbra – 500 credits – if you don’t know what this is and you play Elder Scrolls I can’t help you. Epic boss fight and music from ESIV: Oblivion.
Alternative Armors – 700 credits – alternative armors for the following: Dwarven, Stahlrim, Daedric, Dragonscale, Ebony Plate, Elven, and Steel.
Dawnfang & Duskfang – 500 credits – an epic legendary sword from Shivering Isles expansion in Oblivion. Quest to obtain.
Expanded Crossbow Pack – 750 credits – craftable or purchasable variants of crossbows. Carries the Van Helsing stamp of approval.
Netch Leather Armor – 600 credits – quest in Solstheim involving an incredibly large bull netch.
Dead Man’s Dread – 750 credits – Cyrus’ lost ship may be on the north shore. Find it and the mysteries inside to claim your naval base.
Goblins – 400 credits – adds little green goblins all over along with quests, items and ingredients.
Saints & Seducers – 1500 credits – see above. A massive questline, items, artifacts, enemies, spells, and locations to explore.
Hendraheim – 400 credits – Nordic hall with a boss fight.
The Gray Cowl Returns – 250 credits – be the Gray Fox in Skyrim and restore the legendary reputation of the master thief.

As you can see, The Creation Club added a lot of content to Skyrim’s base game. Some critics argued about the goal of Creation Club saying these should be free or perhaps Bethesda was profiting off of the hard work of modders. Regardless, these add-ons provided lore-friendly content pieces that fit in well with the Skyrim experience.

The total price, if you bought these individually, would be close to $120.

With the $20 upgrade to the Anniversary Edition of Skyrim, you get all of these Creation Club content add-ons included.

Anniversary Edition Exclusive Content

That is not all friends. With the Skyrim Anniversary Edition we get additional, never-before-seen content add-ons. Here is the list of Anniversary Edition CC items:

Eight more plate and new silver armor variants
Bittercup
Bloodchill Manor
Bow of Shadows
Farming
Fearsome fists
Fishing
Gallows Hall
Ghosts of Tribunal
Goldbrand
Headman’s Cleaver
Nchuanthumz: Dwarven Home
Necromantic Grimoire
Redguard Elite Armaments
Staves
The Cause
The Contest

Not all has been revealed about the specifics of these new quests, items, weapons, armors, and characters. Needless to say, this is another new batch of content that fans are eager to explore. Bethesda added a FAQ to help address common questions.

Is The Skyrim Anniversary Edition Worth It?

Yes. We all know the people saying no are going to buy it on day one.

Cheers to all who are about to buy Skyrim for the 7th time, you’re in good company.

Join us 11/11/21 as we see that black screen fade to light and relish in the sounds of the cart heading to Helgen with Jeremy Soule’s “Awake” caressing our eardrums. Finally, we hear that familiar voice of Ralof saying, “Hey you, you’re finally awake.”

Todd Howard, you’ve done it again.

Speaking of Todd – Here is Todd Howard’s Reddit AMA with the Questions and Answers for you.