Skyrim fans horrified to learn mining trick we wish we'd know years ago

It’s often said that The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is the gift that keeps on giving results and while that phrase is so overused that typing it is making my eyes twitch, it remains true.

Very few single-player games have the longevity of Bethesda’s Skyrim.

For a game that launched in 2011, it boasts an incredible number of players to this day.

Of course, it helps that Skyrim is supported by a wonderful modding community, but many of us simply return to the vanilla game.

Bethesda really did hit the mark with this one, crafting an open world that is packed with content.

I’ve played through the game a handful of times - rookie numbers to some, I know - and still delight in unearthing ‘new’ discoveries.

It’s nigh impossible for any one player to know every facet there is to know about Skyrim.

That’s a hard truth that recently hit me when I discovered that there’s a mining trick I’ve been overlooking for years.

When will The Elder Scrolls VI drop a new teaser? Whenever it is, that day cannot come soon enough.

This trick comes from Reddit user DRAMAticalDragon, who said, “I don't know if it's been pointed out, but if you equip a pickaxe and hit the vein Minecraft style, it will still mine the vein without the cutscene.”

Think of the time saved.

There is one catch. Some players report that the ore either didn’t respawn after using this method, or took 30 in-game days, while others reported no issues at all.

It’s believed this could be down to the version of Skyrim you’re using, but I’d still say it’s well worth a go.

After all, with so much to see and do in Skyrim, you don’t want to spend more time mining than necessary.

This isn’t the only time-saving hack.

You may have been lockpicking wrong this whole time but worry not, fellow fans are one hand to provide assistance with that too.