‘Skyrim’ Will Soon Be Playable via Alexa; It Was Not a Joke After All

The video game industry is full of hoaxes, hearsays, and rumors that never pan out. As such, it was easy to dismiss the idea that “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim” would be playable via the Amazon Alexa. A clip about the concept featuring comedian Keegan-Michael Key made the idea even more ludicrous. It turns out that Bethesda Game Studios was not joking around.

The video of the actor/comedian depicts a scenario where Key wants to play the game but can’t decide which platform to use. In the end, he chooses the Amazon Echo and says, "Alexa, play 'Skyrim.’”

In response, the smart assistant says, "You're level 57 and see a tall, snowy mountain."

As promotional materials go, this is certainly one of the most unusual in the video game industry. It might also be the aptest considering how many times “Skyrim” has been ported. As a result, many fans took the clip as a joke. Only it wasn’t.

On the Amazon page of the game, the description is almost so on point it’s ridiculous. Even now, it can still be difficult to tell if Bethesda is really serious about this whole thing.

“Bethesda Game Studios is proud to present Skyrim... for Alexa. Yes, that’s right, the version of Skyrim you never saw coming has finally arrived on the platform you never asked for,” the description reads.

“For the very first time ever, take your rightful place as the Dragonborn of legend (again) and explore Skyrim using the power of your own voice...your Thu’um!”

It’s worth noting that this version of “Skyrim” won’t involve actual gaming via a screen or a headset. Instead, it’s reminiscent of the old text-based adventure games or role-playing board games, as Business Insider notes. Alexa will basically act as a dungeon master and players can participate by saying things like “Use Shout.”