'The Elder Scrolls: Blades' hits iOS and Android in early access

Originally set for last fall, Bethesda's Elder Scrolls: Blades mobile game is finally playable in early access on iOS and Android. Bethesda says it's sending out email invites in "waves" and you can still sign up to get one if you forgot the first time round in June, when it was announced at E3.

Unlike on the iOS closed beta from earlier this month, you're not bound to an NDA, meaning you can take as many screenshots and videos as you wish. And, sure enough, YouTube gameplay clips are already popping up. Eventually, Bethesda plans to bring Blades to every platform imaginable, including PCs, consoles, and virtual reality devices.

In its current form, it lacks the Arena multiplayer mode that lets two players battle it out against one another. That leaves endless dungeon crawling in Abyss, or Town, the game's main mode tied to its storyline about a member of the Blades ("the empire's top agents") tasked with rebuilding their wrecked hometown. The game can be played in portrait mode on mobile, with touchscreen controls for melee and magic attacks, and the ability to create your own custom character.

Blades for iOS currently supports the iPhone 6s and beyond and select iPads, while Android devices span the Samsung Galaxy S8/Note 8 and above, the Google Pixel 2 and above, and select OnePlus, Huawei and Xiaomi phones, among others. You can check out the full list of supported devices here. Bethesda is promising to add more to the lineup in the future.