Bethesda Reveals How Skyrim’s Zelda Collaboration Came About

Best Buy Canada received the opportunity of interviewing Bethesda Game Studios’ lead producer Andrew Scharf on The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

During the interview, Andrew talked about Nintendo’s new relationship with Bethesda, how The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim’s Switch port came to be, as well as details we have never heard about on Skyrim’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild collaboration.

Bethesda and Nintendo

Paul Hunter: Skyrim coming to Nintendo Switch is obviously a huge moment in gaming, and especially for Nintendo fans. Who originally approached who about bringing this massive game world to Nintendo Switch?

Andrew Scharf: The team here at BGS has been excited about the Switch and Nintendo’s plans since we first saw the demo of the technology. That got us fired up about the possibilities, and as a broader company, we’re always looking to expand our games to new platforms and new audiences. It was just a no-brainer to join a great partner like Nintendo and bring the massive world of Skyrim, where you can go anywhere and do anything, to a platform that can also go anywhere.

PH: Last October during the much talked about video Reveal Trailer for Nintendo Switch we saw Skyrim being played at home and on an airplane. How did it feel to (sort of) make public the new relationship Bethesda has with Nintendo?

AS: It was very exciting. We’ve always dreamt of the opportunity to be able to bring The Elder Scrolls to a Nintendo platform, and with the Switch we were able to do not only that, but provide a way to play Skyrim a whole new way by being able to bring it anywhere.  Nintendo’s been a great partner and it’s been great to work with them.

Zelda + Skyrim

PH: The addition of items from The Legend of Zelda, like the Master Sword, Hylian Shield, and Champion’s Tunic is pretty exciting. How did this idea come about and are there any other items in-game that may surprise us?

AS: It was early on in the project, shortly after we started developing on the Switch hardware and Todd brought the idea up to Nintendo and the Legend of Zelda development team. They loved the idea and offered to work with us to make sure that our depiction of Link’s Champion’s Tunic, Hylian Shield, and of course the Master Sword held true to their design, while being usable weapons/armor in Skyrim.

PH: I know Skyrim on Switch is compatible with The Legend of Zelda series amiibo, and they have a daily random chance to unlock the Zelda gear. Are any other amiibo compatible with Skyrim, and if yes, what perks do they provide?

AS: Basically, once a day (every 24 hours in real time, not game time) you can use a Zelda amiibo to make a Zelda themed chest appear with a 20% chance to discover a Zelda themed item, or you can use any other type of amiibo to make a Skyrim themed chest appear with various types of loot.

Bethesda & Nintendo: the future

PH: The future looks extremely bright for Bethesda and Nintendo. We have Skyrim, DOOM, and Wolfenstein II all coming to Nintendo Switch. As we look towards the future, what would you like to tell Nintendo fans about this rapidly growing partnership with Nintendo?

AS: We’re really excited to be launching our games on Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo has been a fantastic partner for us. The fans of Nintendo’s hardware have been super supportive and excited for these games and we hope they enjoy exploring Skyrim, as well as blasting demons in DOOM and fighting Nazis in Wolfenstein II. We haven’t announced anything for Switch following Wolfenstein II in 2018, but if and when we do, we will let you know.