How Skyrim’s ‘Skywind’ Kills Two Birds With One Stone

Highlights

Skywind, an unofficial mod, will recreate Morrowind in Skyrim’s engine for an updated experience for new and veteran players alike.
Recreating Morrowind will bring new content and remove old barriers, offering a fresh take on one of The Elder Scrolls’ best settings.
Skywind’s development team of volunteers aims to faithfully recreate Morrowind, reviving its lore and story for a new generation.

Although Skyrim has been the face of The Elder Scrolls since 2011, the series has been a cornerstone of open world games for many years. The Elder Scrolls games have been popular since The Elder Scrolls: Arena was released in 1994, but the series really established its current formula with The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind in 2002. Morrowind is considered one of the best games in The Elder Scrolls and a standout for its story, setting, character building, and roleplaying options.

Unfortunately, as time has passed, it’s aged a lot and many players have found it a difficult game to play. Enter Skywind, an unofficial mod that will recreate Morrowind using Skyrim‘s Creation Engine. Fans of Morrowind and those who want to play it for the first time will be able to experience Morrowind through Skywind and, with no release date for The Elder Scrolls 6 in sight, fans of Skyrim will get the new content they want with the help of one of The Elder Scrolls‘ best settings.

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Skywind’s Additions to Skyrim

What is Skywind?

Skywind is a mod that’s been in development since 2012, just one year after Skyrim‘s release. Its development team is completely made up of volunteers who love Morrowind and want to bring it to life for the enjoyment of veteran Morrowind players and those who have yet to discover it. While offering Morrowind with an updated engine, fans of Skyrim will be able to experience more content in The Elder Scrolls and discover a world beyond Skyrim that they may not have been able to play otherwise. Skywind removes the barriers to playing Morrowind, such as the brutal difficulty curve and making attacks based on chance.

Returning to the Nerevarine Through Skyrim

Skywind will be a faithful recreation of The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind and will take place on the island of Vvardenfell. The player will take control of the Nerevarine, and replay the events that shaped Morrowind. As a recreation rather than a simple remaster, there will be improvements to the original Morrowind in Skywind. For example, where Morrowind‘s dialogue was mostly text-based, Skywind will be fully voiced.

Morrowind’s Legacy

Morrowind is considered one of the best video games ever made thanks to its sprawling, alien landscapes, and immersive culture. Its lore is fundamental to The Elder Scrolls, as it established the Tribunal, much of Morrowind’s culture, expanded on Azura and daedric worship in general, and even went on to expand on the Empire despite the Empire’s diminished presence in Morrowind. Rather than being based on European landscapes and architecture, Morrowind’s Ashlands, unique architecture, and armor based on giant insect shells were unique and fascinating for players to explore.

Skywind’s Requirements

Recreating the wonder of exploring Morrowind again, along with its immersive story of the Nerevarine prophecy, Dagoth Ur, and Vivec, will bring in a new generation of players who loved Skyrim and are looking for something new to enjoy. Those who played Morrowind and want a new experience with modern technology will also benefit from Skyrim. While there’s no launch date for Skywind, the mod team releases updates regularly and progress appears to be going well. Playing Skywind will require both Skyrim and Morrowind, and the mod will only be available on PC.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Skyrim is the fifth major game in the Elder Scrolls series. Considered one of the greatest games ever made, it has been released on several generations of consoles. Since its initial release over a decade ago, Skyrim has become one of the bestselling video games of all time.

Released: November 11, 2011
Developer(s): Bethesda Game Studios
Publisher(s): Bethesda Softworks
Engine: Creation Engine
ESRB: M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol
Expansions: Skyrim: Dragonborn , Skyrim: Hearthfire , Skyrim: Dawnguard
How Long To Beat: 35 Hours
Metascore: 96
X|S Enhanced: Yes
File Size Xbox Series: 29 GB (DECEMBER 2023)
PS Plus Availability: Extra & Premium (Special Edition)