The Elder Scrolls Began as a Total Disaster

It is hard to picture a world without The Elder Scrolls, but the series had a rough start. Ted Peterson, a designer who worked on the early games, recently shared that The Elder Scrolls: Arena was a disaster when it first arrived in 1994. The launch was plagued by shipping delays that caused retailers to cancel their orders.

Because of these early struggles, the game almost did not make it to store shelves. The team feared the project would fail completely. However, word of mouth among players eventually turned the tide. Fans started talking about the game, which helped it find an audience despite the rocky debut.

This early support allowed Bethesda to continue the series and move on to Daggerfall. It is a great reminder that even massive billion dollar franchises can have very humble, shaky beginnings. We are certainly glad that players kept the game alive long enough to see what it could become.