The next installment of Bethesda’s long-running Elder Scrolls series was designed as a mobile game, the company said today during its E3 press conference. Elder Scrolls Blades is a first-person role-playing game for Android and iOS that will feature console-quality graphics and a variety of combat styles.
The Elder Scrolls: Blades casts you as the member of the Blades, described by Bethesda’s Todd Howard as “the empire’s top agents,” who returns home to find that it has been destroyed. The story unfolds as you are forced into exile, and you’ll explore both “hand-crafted” and procedurally designed dungeons, Howard said.
You’ll be able to play Blades by tapping or using virtual dual sticks. Combat includes standard melee attacks, ranged attacks, and magical spells. Unusually for an RPG, you’ll also be able to play Blades in portrait mode on your phone.
In addition to leveling up your character and enhancing their abilities, you’ll also be able to play a “town-building” mode that lets you create a virtual city.
While it’s coming first to phones, Blades will eventually be available for PCs, consoles, and virtual reality devices, Howard said. The game will be a free download for iOS and Android later this fall, but you will be able to preorder it starting later tonight at playblades.com. (The site was not yet live at time of publication.)