Skyrim gets unexpected expansion you can download free right now

Bethesda isn’t a studio exactly known for its speedy work but then again, masterpieces take time.

You need look no further than the incredible longevity of Skyrim. If The Elder Scrolls VI can build upon Skyrim’s lightning-in-a-bottle magic, then it’ll surely be a treat.

That being said, I should warn you, The Elder Scrolls VI remains many years away. It’s far enough along in development that there is a playable internal build, but this will presumably still be quite primitive.

All we really know about the game is that Bethesda’s Todd Howard hopes for it to be the “ultimate fantasy world simulator,” which sounds good to us.

If the idea of The Elder Scrolls VI being years away somewhat pains you, it helps that Skyrim boasts one the most imaginative and creative modding communities out there - breathing new life into this old gem.

Whilst you may feel like you know Skyrim like the back of your hand, you won’t once you download and sample the excellent ‘Infiltration - Quest Expansion’ mod.

Take a look at the original reveal trailer for The Elder Scrolls VI below.

Created by NexusMods user jayserpa, this mod totally overhauls the pre-existing, and rather dull, Infiltration quest that you can already find in the game.

As I’m sure you’re aware, the quest sees the Dragonborn assist Stalleo in helping his men retake Treva’s Watch.

In this modded and revised version, additional (and fully voiced) dialogue has been added, with more player agency incorporated into the quest via a number of additional choices.

“Listen to all sides and make your choice. Or try to save everyone. Or go crazy and kill everyone. The quest has no dead ends,” reads the description.

It also seeks to cut what the creator believes to be cut content: “The vanilla quest always felt like it was made to be bigger. Stalleo hints that there is more to the story with Brurid that he lets on, and the fort is quite big and contains two or three bandit chiefs, something practically unheard of. It's possible the fort was meant to be tackled as a group (with Stalleo and his men) and now this is possible thanks to this quest.”

Additionally, you will indeed now actually have to infiltrate the fort instead of activating an external lever.

If you take Stalleo inside, he’s now equipped with dynamic comments, warning you of certain traps and responding to your actions.

If this mod sounds of interest to you, it’s completely free to download on NexusMods now. You’ve got nothing to lose.