# It's easy to forget, but the first Elder Scrolls game had a rough launch: 'It was a disaster in a lot of ways'

> Given the legacy it created, it's easy to forget The Elder Scrolls wasn't a big deal right out of the gate. The original game in the series, The Elder Scrolls: Arena, wasn't badly received—our reviewer, Andy Butcher,…

- **Source:** [Pcgamer](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-elder-scrolls/its-easy-to-forget-now-but-the-first-elder-scrolls-game-had-a-rough-launch-back-in-the-day-it-was-a-disaster-in-a-lot-of-ways-and-somehow-built-a-billion-dollar-franchise/?utm_source=gearopen.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=feed&utm_content=6ac316a29b9724c93af78177)
- **Published:** 2026-10-05
- **Category:** Gaming
- **Tags:** #elder #scrolls #easy #forget #game #arena #disaster #launch
- **Canonical:** http://localhost:4321/a/6ac316a29b9724c93af78177

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_GearOpen's distilled summary. The full original article is published at Pcgamer (source link above); GearOpen does not republish the source's full text._