Skyrim released on GOG

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No, you did not misread the title. No, you've not fallen through a dragon break to 2011. It's true, Skyrim has been released on another platform today. You can now pick up a DRM-free copy of Skyrim Special Edition from GOG.com!

A few weeks ago we had a call with our friends at GOG who told us about a very special new release that was going to be exciting for our community. Skyrim was going to be added to GOG, completing the Elder Scrolls set on their website. You could say Skyrim is now officially a Good Old Game. Since then we've been working closely with them to ensure that the GOG build is as modding-friendly as possible. 



You might be wondering what's different about this release compared to the versions available on Steam or through Xbox Game Pass, so here's a quick rundown of why this version is interesting:

  • DRM-free - Like all games offered on GOG, this version is completely free of pesky DRM so you won't be locked out of titles you paid for, or constantly asked to prove you own them - this is DRM-free gaming.
  • No Creation Club or Bethesda.net - The Creation Club and Bethesda.net menus have been disabled for this release meaning that you cannot access these services in-game. However, you will still be able to get all of the Creation Club content by purchasing the Anniversary Edition from GOG.com.
  • Rollback easily* - Don't you just hate it when Skyrim gets updated and you either have to wait for all your favourite SKSE dependant mods to be updated or mess about trying to roll back? This is quite difficult on Steam or Xbox but GOG has got you covered. Through the GOG Galaxy app, you can easily roll back to an older version of the game or turn off updates entirely to keep modding without interruption. 

To celebrate the release, Skyrim will be on sale for the next 2 weeks so you can pick up the full Anniversary bundle of Skyrim Special Edition for £21.49/$24.99/€24.99 (RRP £42.99/$49.99/€49.99) or grab the base game only for £21.49/$24.99/€24.99 (RRP £34.99/$39.99/€39.99). The Anniversary Edition Upgrade can also be purchased separately for £11.19/$13.99/€13.99 (RRP £15.99/$19.99/€19.99). If that sounds appealing to you, use the banners below to grab a copy!**



I'm sure you have questions at this point so here's a brief FAQ covering what we've learned from this build so far.

Can I manage my mods with Vortex?
Yes. We're just about to release Vortex 1.6.12 which includes automatic detection of the GOG version and will allow you to manage your mods, plugins and saved games like any other edition of the game. Other modding tools may require an update (see the bottom of this post). 

Does this version work with Skyrim Script Extender (SKSE)?
We have ensured that the Silverlock team behind SKSE have been a part of the conversation leading up to the release and GOG has generously given them early access to the build, so you can expect a GOG-compatible SKSE release in the next few days.

Do all existing mods work with the GOG version?
Most mods that do not require SKSE will work correctly at launch. However, due to some changes to remove the Bethesda.net and Creation Club menus, mods that alter the game UI (specifically the main menu and pause menu) may need to be updated before they are compatible. 

Can I transfer my saved games over? 
Yes. You can move your saved games from any other version into the GOG build by copying the saves folder from "My Documents\My Games\Skyrim Special Edition\Saves" to "My Documents\My Games\Skyrim Special Edition GOG\Saves". Keep in mind that if you're playing with mods it's not a good idea to move over mid-save but if you do make sure you have all the same mods installed to the GOG version. 

I have purchased Creation Club content on Steam/Xbox can I transfer it?
No. As this version of Skyrim has no link to Bethesda.net, it is not possible to transfer your purchases over. 

Will you be making copies of the GOG version available to mod authors via the Mod Rewards Program
We're discussing the possibility of this with GOG so keep an eye on the Donation Points Store. If we're able to secure some copies then we'll let Mod Authors know via the dedicated forums/Discord server.  

Is GOG going to release the original 2011 or VR versions?
At the moment there are no plans for GOG to offer these editions of the game. 

Can I get the Creation Kit from GOG?
No. At present, the Creation Kit is only available on Steam. Bethesda has confirmed the GOG version is not compatible with the Steam Creation Kit but all mods created using the Creation Kit will work with any PC edition of the game. 


Technical Differences


For tool developers (or just those of you who are curious) here are the notable differences between the GOG version and the Steam/Xbox releases:

  • The game version is 1.6.659.0.
  • Game settings (INI files) are stored under "%userprofile%\Documents\My Games\Skyrim Special Edition GOG".
  • Saved games are stored under "%userprofile%\Documents\My Games\Skyrim Special Edition GOG\Saves".
  • Load order data (plugins.txt and loadorder.txt files) is stored under "%localappdata%\Skyrim Special Edition GOG".


That about wraps it up. What do you think of Skyrim coming to GOG? Let us know in the comments. 

* Bethesda will still be able to remove old versions from this option if required but GOG has said that in most cases they will remain available. 
** Disclaimer: We are a member of GOG.com's affiliate program. This means if you use any of the links in the article above to make a purchase from GOG.com, we get a very small cut. It's another way to help us keep the lights on and we're always happy to promote such a great company!

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  1. VearCon64
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    GoG decieved and betrayed us all. Rollback feature my great aunt regrettas tail! GoG go to Hell, you just lost yourself a lot of customers including me. There is no excuse for lying to me about such an essential feature the absense of which prevents playing with all the mods that are the cornerstone of the experience, absolutely disgusting, shame on you GoG.
    1. jclosed
      jclosed
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      Hmm?  What are you talking about?

      Of course GOG cannot roll back. That's simply because the GOG version is the first initial version without an DRM in place. It will, however, be possible to roll back if any updates after the initial GOG version are applied.

      The GOG version cannot been "rolled back" to a previous Steam DRM infested version because all previous versions on Steam need the Steam Client and DRM. There is no way around that, unless Bethesda makes a legal previous version without Steam DRM. That's, however, not something GOG can do. They are bound by what Bethesda will allow and what not.

      So - If you have problems with that I am afraid complaining to GOG won't do you any good. It also does not make sense to get angry at them. If you have complaints, shoot them at Bethesda, because they are the ones that compiled (or gobbled together) the GOG version.

      And it's not that no mods at all work. A fair deal work, and another batch is worked on. Granted - The real old mods that are no longer maintained will have problems. There is no avoiding that. But that goes for the latest Steam version also.

      I do not have the feeling I was lied to. GOG advertised that it's the Skyrim SE version, and that's exactly what we got. They also advertised that a great deal of mods will work (they never said that ALL mods will work), and that's true too.
    2. Sonja
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    3. JamminJlox
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      Bro.... just get a refund...
    4. ubronan
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      I do agree with your well said opinion on the updates of the game, i wonder if the gog version can be locked to the version you want
      On steam it was in the old days possible to stop getting updates but i am not sure as i kinda stopped completely playing games on steam.
      Well almost with the exception of TL2 as all other games became boring or a pain in the behind as i had both Skyrim and SE fully modded but constant was busy more time fixing the mods as it became crashing often after one small update than playing the game.
      Sure i really would like to play again but not on steam but buying it again for the current insane high prices no thanks
      Again the later released i do not buy as i posted above the reason.
      But the forced updates was one of the reasons i stopped playing almost any game, it is like M$ you get updates forced to your throat which break more than it adds most of the time it is only spyware.
      On steam i could no longer play TL2 saved games as it wants to kill the stored saves on my local pc and replace them with 5 months old versions or you have to allow the cloud spying stuff again.
      Do not get me wrong i hate the same action of GOG they all want you to keep their client running on the background but i do not want that as i kill any and all background stuff that tries to invade my computer and spy on what i do.
      Steam is now officially for me a insane intrusive and forcefull invader sadly i have hundreds of games on steam, which are not portable in any way.
    5. jclosed
      jclosed
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      Umm ubronan...
      You don't need any client with the GOG edition at all... Where did you get that weird idea?

      That client is completely optional and just for convenience, and it's your choice to use it or not. I personally don't use that client at all.
      You can just download the installation files from your GOG library, and install them without any client in sight. They are completely stand-alone installers. If you make a back up of those, than you have these installation files for life (as long as you don't destroy that back up). You can install it on any computer you like and you don't need any internet connection, client or whatever to do so.

      That's the reason I prefer GOG as platform. You get everything totally DRM free, and don't need any client running in the background.
  2. ubronan
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    I have every version of the game on steam excluding the last 2 nothing adding releases
    Would really want to have it on GOG as i prefer GOG over any other platform but having to pay for my ages old game again 120 euro is way too much as no matter what you do, if switch platform they want you to pay again the insane high prices for the same game.
    So i am not even looking at those releases as they seldom really improve anything at all.
    these so calle anniversery do add nothing visual at all nor better gameplay.... so as all these so called new releases are just a way to sell the old game again and again. Just for profit nothing else.
    The greed of thse companies let me stop buying any new games at all ( admitted i do see nothing released what made me want it)
    It is all the same games with nothing new or does make me feel that is awesome.
    All the games released are just the old boring a bit polished crap even the characters still look completely the same
    The cutscene movies do not count
    1. jclosed
      jclosed
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      120 euro? What the hell are you talking about?
      I payed introduction price of €14 for Skyrim SE on GOG. That's nowhere near that imaginary €120 you are talking about.
      Granted - The price has probably gone up now the introduction period is over, but it's still not even in the distant neighborhood of €120.

      Care to explain?
  3. SkyToLife
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    I tried to set up an ENB for the GOG Version today but it did not work. Any solutions please?
    1. hotlavatube
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      Are you familiar with the normal ENB install process? ENB binaries are one of the things you cannot generally install with a mod manager as they don't go in the data folder. I use the old ENB Organizer to swap binaries and presets. For GOG, I installed the enb_0477 files. You have to open up the wrapper folder and dump the contents into your Skyrim main folder, NOT the data folder.

      Once you have the binaries in place, test Skyrim and you should see some text at the top telling you that the ENB Binaries have loaded.

      Step two is to pick an ENB preset and follow the instructions for its install. Depending on the complexity of the preset, some just get dumped in the main Skyrim folder, and some have parts that can be added to the data folder. Be careful to read the requirements for the ENB preset, as some of them have additional mods (like AddressUtil) which may be required. If you're modding, you'll need the SKSE installed for GOG. 

      There are some good youtube videos which explain the process. 
      Getting started modding with GOG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJYddISZdeo
      ENB Installation example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8B02WykPfcI
    2. SkyToLife
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      Silly me actually installed the wrong version of the ENB. It works now, thank you very much. :´)
  4. redwoodrob
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    I've been trying to get SSEEdit to see my GOG version of Skyrim but have not had any luck yet. Everything I've read says the same, start the game so it will register and SSEEdit will find it, but that's just not happening. I reinstalled SSEEdit hoping that it would let me select the path to GOG Skyrim but there's no option. No problems yet with LOOT or Wrye Bash.
    1. hotlavatube
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      As far as I was able to figure out, you have to manually specify the directories with arguments in MO2: 
      For SSEdit in MO2 (using profiles): 
      -i:"D:\Modding\Instances\Skyrim\profiles\Default\Skyrim.ini" -p:"c:\Users\[my username]\AppData\Local\Skyrim Special Edition GOG\plugins.txt" -d:"d:\Games\Skyrim\Data"

      And for SSEdit with quick clean: -Dontcache -i:"D:\Modding\Instances\Skyrim\profiles\Default\Skyrim.ini" -p:"c:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\Skyrim Special Edition GOG\plugins.txt" -d:"d:\Games\Skyrim\Data"

      See the wiki for details: https://stepmodifications.org/wiki/Guide:XEdit#Launch_Arguments
      Oh, and make sure MO2 has the GOG plugin installed, or it won't link the plugins, saves, data folder correctly. 
    2. redwoodrob
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      Thank you so much for this. Any options for Vortex?
  5. Leubast
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    How to I get Vortex to manage both the Steam and the GoG release of Skyrim? I have Vortex 1.6.14 but it's not finding Skyrim GoG.
    1. Leubast
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      I see why, Vortex is seeing the Steam version first and not even bothering with finding the GoG version. I'm working on a way to have both version show as separate games in Vortex.
    2. Khylian
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      I have GOG too. You can make a tool for both games (new tool and then select the path of your game), but I have not managed to have both games separate with their own mods in Vortex though.
    3. Pickysaurus
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      Vortex simply wasn't designed to support two instances of the same game, there are some workarounds (discussed in the support forum) but it's not catered for by the current UI and hasn't really been requested since we launched Vortex. 
    4. Khylian
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      Thanks for the reply! I gave up having both, I am going to use only the GOG version. Only thing I really miss is racemenu, yesiamsure, and few others. Most mods work for the GOG version. Well, I miss creation kit too, that's why I wanted to keep the steam version. Cheers ;)
    5. KodiCrystal
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      Racemenu Works if you get rid of it's DDL file (I don't think that's the case for the mods that require it)
      RaceMenu\SKSE\Plugins\skee64.dll
      I named mine skee64.dll.old so I didn't have to delete it and the game boots and shows racemenu in the character creation screen. This is not a thorough test though
    6. Khylian
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      I tried that but it does not work for some reason. I don't know what's wrong, some people is using racemenu with GOG but I can't. Frustrating!
    7. redwoodrob
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      I purchased the GOG Special Edition also and I think I understand now why Vortex can't find it. Been driving me crazy. Do I need to remove my Steam version? I've recently started using MO2, trying to get familiar with it. It's sounding like we're in some gray area of Vortex limitations along with a lot of mods needing update to both Steam version and GOG version. Bottom line is unless you have something backed up that you can play, it may be a while before people can play like they could 2 months ago
    8. Pickysaurus
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      Vortex will default to the Steam version, but you can click the little menu on the game tile to manually point it somewhere else. I'm not really sure how so many people miss that feature. 
    9. redwoodrob
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      Hey, that worked really nice. Thanks so much! Nothing against MO2 and it's obviously very good, I just prefer Vortex.
    10. elpuertorro
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      You can also add it manually use the: add game then you just have to set a few things but let's you manage both having settings for both, didn't try pointing the downloads to the already existing, so for now the only downside is maybe the extra space, but i'm almost positive i can share the Vortex DL folder with no ill side effects, I will be trying in the next days that I'm off and report, but already have it set up and working with individual folders for each game.
  6. Gasukies
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    Another edition of Skyrim is always welcome!
    Hope Starfield is going to have even more!
  7. Tigersong
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    It's too bad Skyrim isn't part of GOG Connect. I bought the original, the special edition, downloaded the Xbox version...enough's enough. I simply want to download, install mods and play already! Even if one bought the game on disc it's "one copy per person, thanks very much".
  8. Jonnan
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    I will buy this, if only because you can only play one game on your steam account at a time. I've been moving away from steam since I figured out that if my mother was playing Skyrim on the household PC I couldn't play Torchlight on my laptop.

    F*** that noise.
  9. lucastcan
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    I really don't get all the hype on this, is another version of the same game, and the problem is that now we have like 3 versions of SSE, the pre-anniversary, post one and now this one, i don't think modders are gonna spend more money on another copy of skyrim just to update their mods, this is relevant just for SKSE mods tough, but still some of the best mods use SKSE. Also for the DRM, steamworks is a F Joke is not even a DRM, there is an open source project on github to remove steamworks from the exe BTW. So i really don't get all this positive feedback on it, am i missing something?
    1. 99stars
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      This version is offline. Always and forever. You put it on an external hard drive, and you have a game with a set of mods that is guaranteed to work. SKSE will not need to be updated, because the version you have is the version you need. Your mods won't magically break because a new creature - sorry, creation - has been spawned by the depths of some hell.

      You will also be able to take that hard drive, install your offline Skyrim on a machine with no network connection, and play. 

      You will also be able to turn on your machine after six months, or a year, or two years (because, say, it's your old computer, now residing at your parents' home), and play Skyrim. No fuss.

      Try that with steam, let me know how it works out for you. I had the unique pleasure of steam telling me that I couldn't play a single-player game that I had bought and installed and had been working six months prior... Because I wasn't online. 

      I bought the thing, I paid the thing, so I get to keep the thing, and use the thing, when I want, how I want. I can do it with a socket wrench, I see no reason I shouldn't be able to do it with a game. Steam disagrees. GOG doesn't.

      That's about it.
    2. nexususer01
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      You can just as easily backup your SkyrimSE.exe to that hard drive.
      The only positive side I see is that you don't need to run Steam in the background.
    3. lucastcan
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      Does not sum up to me, i don't need to pay more for this, i can play the game with offline steam anyway and as a said before is quite easy to remove steamworks from the game. For the updates, i can disable them or use depot to revert it, so that is not a GOG exclusive. If this are the reasons people a buying, i think they are stretching things, and as "nexususer01" said you can backup your Skyrim with steam to hard drive, GOG version does not have anything new.
    4. DAOWAce
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      Removing Steamworks is a piracy grey area.

      And no, it's not as simple as "just play a game offline lol" with Steam.  There's been issues with games where you have to set Steam to offline mode FIRST, or else you can't play them.

      And then the auto updates, which you can't disable for workshop items, nor even fully disable for game updates as it force updates on launch.  The only way to launch a game without 'updating' it, is to create a second folder for the game, have steam update that, then rename the original back.. and do this every time there's an update.  And that's hoping Steam doesn't just randomly update one of your games for absolutely no reason, ignoring your settings of 'only update on launch', and bricking your modded install with no easy recourse to go back.  This has happened to me, multiple times on multiple games.

      Having a modded game on Steam is a risk.  A risk a platform like GOG doesn't have, at all.
    5. YeiZoneX
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      You need a pre-stored key to play steam games in offline mode. Once you set offline mode, you can play those games for 15 days, then you need to connect to steam servers at least once to validate licenses again. There is not such thing as permanent offline in Steam. GOG games are, by nature, truly DRM-free, permanently offline games that you can play on your or any other computer without even touching GOG launcher, games have their own offline installers.
    6. Vaylentine
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      Pirating a game you own? The audacity...
    7. Lollia
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      "I had the unique pleasure of steam telling me that I couldn't play a single-player game that I had bought and installed and had been working six months prior... Because I wasn't online."

      You're singing my song! This is EXACTLY what happened to me! Everyone I told said, "Steam wouldn't do a thing like that." Pfft. 
    8. rbull77
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      Unfortunately, you don't actually own the game.  You bought a license to play it on Steam.  That's how it works.
    9. chief001177
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      Nope. That may be what they say, but if you pay for it its rightfully your copy.

      I dont think Windows tells you installing their operating system makes them the owner of your PC, but they pretty much treat it like that.

      So theres the question which side has the power to enforce their idea of the contract, but its not a question of morality, which is clearly on your side. If you can remove unwanted parts of the product, good. Its yours to toy around with
    10. Khylian
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      Same here. I am playing Morrowind until I can use racemenu in Skyrim, this is a bit unconvenient, but I can live with this.
  10. gadinel
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    First of all, I happily bought the GoG Version. Simply the fact that I'm able now to run the game without an annoying spyware client lurking in the background collecting my data to share and/or sell it to third parties is worth every cent GoG is asking for. Not to mention the possibility to download the game, install it, mod it to your hearts content and no forced updates are ruining nights of hard work to establish a stable loadorder with hundreds of mods. This possibility is the  reason for me to buy all my games at GoG.