The Elder Scrolls statistics 2026: Sales, players & records

The Elder Scrolls is Bethesda’s flagship RPG franchise, spanning five mainline entries over 30 years. Skyrim alone has sold 60 million+ copies, per Todd Howard (see our Skyrim statistics). In April 2025, Oblivion Remastered launched as a shadow drop and became 2025’s best-selling single-player game in the US. The Elder Scrolls Online has 26 million registered players and over $2 billion in lifetime revenue. Elder Scrolls VI is still in development — reportedly 2–3 years away as of July 2026, with Xbox layoffs raising concerns among Bethesda staff.

The Elder Scrolls key statistics

• 60 million+ copies — Skyrim sold (Todd Howard; see Skyrim statistics).
• 4.5 million copies — Oblivion Remastered, sold on Steam and in stores.
• 63+ million — total Elder Scrolls franchise game sales (2026).
• 26 million players — ESO registered as of April 2025.
• $2 billion+ — ESO lifetime revenue by 2024.
• 2028 at earliest — estimated Elder Scrolls VI release (July 2026).

Skyrim

Skyrim has sold over 60 million copies

• Todd Howard said Skyrim has sold more than 60 million copies — the headline figure used consistently across Elder Scrolls and Bethesda coverage on this site.
• Skyrim launched November 11, 2011 and remains one of the best-selling games of all time.
• At 60M+, Skyrim sits among the top tier of best-selling single titles ever.
• Skyrim has been released on every major platform since 2011, including Nintendo Switch and later hardware revisions.
• Earlier milestones such as 30 million (circa 2021) and 10 million in the first month remain useful historical reference points.

Oblivion Remastered

Oblivion Remastered was 2025’s best-selling single-player game in the US

• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered launched as a shadow drop on April 22, 2025 — announced and released the same day.
• In its first week, it became the third best-selling game of 2025 in the US by dollar sales, behind only Monster Hunter Wilds and Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
• By year end, Oblivion Remastered ranked in the top 10 best-selling games of 2025 overall and was 2025’s highest-selling single-player title in the US.
• Steam and retail combined: approximately 4.5 million copies sold; Steam alone approximately 1.4 million (estimates).
• The original Oblivion (2006) had sold approximately 9.5 million copies lifetime; the remaster outsold it in its first month.

The Elder Scrolls Online

ESO has 26 million registered players and over $2 billion in lifetime revenue

• The Elder Scrolls Online reported 26 million registered players as of April 2025.
• ESO generated over $2 billion in lifetime revenue by 2024.
• ESO is estimated to generate approximately $15 million per month in consistent recurring revenue — significant for a game launched in 2014.
• ESO Steam concurrent players: approximately 8,000–15,000 daily average in 2025–2026 — Steam is a minority of ESO’s audience as the majority play through Bethesda Launcher or console.

Franchise sales table

The Elder Scrolls VI

Elder Scrolls VI is powered by a new Creation Engine — still 2–3 years away as of July 2026

• Elder Scrolls VI was formally announced at E3 2018 with a teaser trailer showing a landscape — no gameplay, no date.
• Todd Howard confirmed to British GQ (November 2025) that the team underwent a “creative reset” before beginning full production.
• As reported in February 2026, Elder Scrolls VI is powered by a new version of the Creation Engine — separate from the engine used for Starfield.
• As of July 2026, the game is reportedly still 2–3 years from release (July 7, 2026).
• In July 2026, Xbox layoffs were reported to be affecting Elder Scrolls VI development, with Bethesda staff stating “key people” have been let go and expressing fears of delays and crunch.
• No release date, no platforms officially confirmed.

The Elder Scrolls historical milestones

• 1994Arena launches; the Elder Scrolls franchise begins.
• 1996Daggerfall launches; massive open world sets the series’ ambition.
• 2002Morrowind launches; critical and commercial breakthrough.
• 2006Oblivion launches; 9.5 million copies over its lifetime.
• 2011Skyrim launches November 11; becomes one of the best-selling games ever.
• 2014The Elder Scrolls Online launches; goes buy-to-play in 2015.
• 2018Elder Scrolls VI teaser announced at E3.
• 2023Elder Scrolls VI confirmed to have entered production (left pre-production).
• April 2025Oblivion Remastered shadow drops; 2025’s best-selling single-player game in the US.
• 2026Todd Howard cites 60 million+ Skyrim copies sold; aligned across site statistics pages.
• July 2026Elder Scrolls VI reportedly 2–3 years away; Xbox layoffs affecting development.