The once-promising collectible card game, The Elder Scrolls: Legends, is officially shutting down its servers on January 30, 2025. While not entirely unexpected, the news still disappoints the remaining loyal players of the Bethesda-developed title. This marks another instance of Bethesda’s struggle with long-term game support, with the notable exception of Skyrim.
The Elder Scrolls: Legends was initially positioned as a potential rival to Hearthstone. However, despite post-launch improvements, it failed to capture a significant market share against established competitors like Hearthstone, Gwent, and Slay the Spire. The game hasn’t seen an update since 2019, just two years after its release, leading to a steady decline in its player base.
The game is no longer available for download on Steam. Players who attempt to launch the game will encounter a message announcing the impending server closure. As a parting gesture, the cost of all in-game items and events has been reduced to a single gold piece, allowing players to experience the game’s full content before it goes offline.
The closure understandably frustrates players, especially those who invested real money in in-app purchases. These purchases will be lost permanently, even if community efforts to establish private servers succeed. This highlights a broader issue in the gaming industry regarding digital ownership rights, as highlighted by Steam’s terms of service, which stipulate that users don’t truly own the games they purchase on the platform.
While the shutdown of The Elder Scrolls: Legends is disheartening for its dedicated community, it sadly reflects a recurring trend in the gaming world. Games with dedicated, albeit smaller, fanbases often face closure due to various factors, including evolving market dynamics and the complexities of digital rights management. Legends joins the ranks of other titles that have met a similar fate, serving as a reminder of the ephemeral nature of online gaming experiences.
