Better grab a jacket, because Skyrim is getting a survival mode

Almost six years later, and people are still playing Bethesda’s fifth Elder Scrolls game, Skyrim. It’s not hard to see why, because I love making a bold claim that Skyrim is the best Elder Scrolls game because I never ever tire of watching the rest of the staff spray blood when this information filters towards the part of their brain that’s dedicated to viewing anything related Morrowind with nostalgia-goggles.

Anyway, almost six years later and Skyrim is still the gift that keeps on giving as fans find way to mod new content into the versatile package of dragon-shouting your foes into oblivion. Not that one. If you thought that dragons and the entire armed guard Windhelm bearing down on your murderous ass was bad enough, then an extra challenge is coming your way soon: The elements.

The Skyrim Special Edition on PS4, PC and Xbox One will soon receive a Survival Mode update, which focuses on making the popular winter wonderland a frigid hell where the only harder than the steel in your hands are the nipples on your chest. You’ll also have to contend with hunger, consuming enough meat to keep yourself well-fed for the battles ahead and for when you need to sacrifice Lydia to a Daedric god.

Yes, I sacrificed her for power and I would do it again in a heartbeat for more power. I am a horrible person, get over it. Other stuff included in the update that will soon hit platforms next month, are:

• A massive reduction in the amount of gear you can carry
• No fast travel
• No health regeneration
• Fatigue also affects your magicka
• Shrines require you to pay to use them
• Vampires and werewolves can restore their hunger by feeding on their victims
• Creatures can now also afflict you with exotic diseases
• Weakened, addled and frostbitten afflictions that impact everything from combat to lockpicking

Here’s the catch: Survival Mode is part of Bethesda’s new Creation Club and is being listed as being available as a free add-on for one week. If you grab it, you keep it. If you miss it, you’re going to have to shell out some bucks for a chance to experience Skyrim the way it was meant to be played: With a Dragonborn who is shivering to death and has an icicle lodged up his urethra from the naked elements around him.

Last Updated: September 28, 2017