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‘The Elder Scrolls: Blades,’ a free-to-play mobile RPG, arrives this fall

The Elder Scrolls: Blades isn't the first mobile Elder Scrolls game, but it will look more familiar to fans of the RPG series. The first-person experience comes to mobile devices this fall as a free-to-play game.

It turns out Bethesda is currently working on not one, but two Elder Scrolls games. Yes, The Elder Scrolls VI is in development, Bethesda announced at the end of its E3 2018 press conference. That is a long ways away, after Starfield, which is also a long ways away. Don’t be too sad, though. In the meantime, Bethesda is giving its fantasy franchise the mobile treatment in The Elder Scrolls: Blades, a free-to-play game launching this fall on iOS and Android.

Shown off on the iPhone X, The Elder Scrolls: Blades is a visual marvel, a pure Elder Scrolls experience that fans of the franchise will recognize instantly. It’s a first-person RPG. You can either tap the screen to move or use on-screen dual sticks to control your character like you would on a console.

In terms of dungeons, there are both procedurally generated and designed ones. The procedurally generated dungeons would seem to up the replay value of already-conquered lairs.

Blades will be split into three different modes. Town, where you can build up your little space in the world, is the main portion. This is where you grab story missions and quests. Outside of the main story, Blades has a player-versus-player mode called Arena, and a rogue-like set in an endless dungeon called Abyss.

While we imagine most will want to play Blades in landscape mode on smartphones, Bethesda has included the ability to play in Portrait mode. The controls are designed simplistically enough that you can play with one hand.

The Elder Scrolls: Blades is already available for pre-order on both the App Store and Google Play. Interestingly, although all signs point to it being designed primarily for mobile audiences, Bethesda promised to bring the game to consoles, PC, and virtual reality as well — with cross-play across all platforms.

Given the success of Fallout Shelter — more than 100 million people have played so far — it’s no surprise Bethesda is cranking out another mobile game. If nothing else, Blades will at least help scratch the Elder Scrolls itch while fans wait for The Elder Scrolls VI. Blades looked impressive from the demo shown on stage. Plus, it’s free, so why not try it out?

Are you tired of paying for streaming services you never watch just to get a phone plan feature you actually want? T-Mobile has good news for you! The carrier is rolling out new plans, called T-Mix, in early November to replace its old Experience lineup with a build-your-own perks system called Picks.

The benefits you choose vary from streaming and gaming to food delivery, AI, satellite service, and phone discounts. But if you are satisfied with your existing plan, you can keep it.

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Apple has finally acknowledged the issue, which has shown up on iPhone Duo units owned by customers as well as demo units in stores. In a statement shared with Bloomberg, Apple says that not all iPhone Duo units are affected and that those that are tend to show the display fault early on. The company added that users who experience problems with their iPhone Duo display should contact AppleCare for a replacement.

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I've covered enough of these fights over the years to know what a shift looks like. That's why what happened in October 2026 genuinely caught me off guard. The day the iPhone Duo went on sale, what may be the most mechanically complex iPhone to date, Apple pulled off a surprising about-face. It published teardown-style repair manuals for a handful of major components.