The Elder Scrolls: Legends, the digital card game based on Bethesda's acclaimed RPG series, has officially ceased operations as of January 30, 2025.  The announcement of its closure in late 2024 came as a surprise to many fans who had enjoyed the game since its initial release in 2017.

Legends offered a unique blend of strategic card gameplay and lore inspired by the world of The Elder Scrolls. Players battled against the High Elf Naarifin, who sought to unleash the Daedra upon the land of Cyrodiil.  While the core game was free-to-play, Bethesda released eight expansion sets throughout its lifespan, each adding new cards and gameplay mechanics.

The game received generally positive reviews throughout its eight-year run, praising its engaging gameplay and connection to the Elder Scrolls universe. Despite this, the game struggled to maintain a large player base in its later years.  This dwindling player count, combined with the ongoing server costs, likely led to Bethesda’s decision to shut down the game.

Following the November announcement, The Elder Scrolls: Legends was removed from Steam. While the concurrent player count leading up to the shutdown was modest, the closure still marks a sad day for dedicated fans.  With the servers now offline, and no offline play option available, the game is completely inaccessible.

With Legends now gone, fans are turning their attention to the future of The Elder Scrolls franchise.  A teaser trailer for The Elder Scrolls 6 was released back in 2018, but concrete details have been scarce.  Director Todd Howard has stated that active development would begin after the completion of Starfield. Leaked documents suggest a release date no earlier than 2026, although this remains unconfirmed.

Despite the closure of Legends, Bethesda has enjoyed recent success with other titles, particularly Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, which surpassed four million players on PC and Xbox Series X/S.  A PlayStation 5 release is planned for the first half of 2025, potentially further boosting the game's player base.