I’m thankful for Bethesda’s post telling us all how thankful they are to the Elder Scrolls cosplayers at Dragon Con because other than two Instagram posts, there was little coverage of the event. What made me especially happy was seeing the official Elder Scrolls Twitter account praising vega_mcree and @wild_mewtwo from Atlanta for their Uriel Septim VII and Blade cosplay. They mentioned taylorisinacostume from Instagram as well, whose Azura imitation left the community speechless. All of them helped bring Tamriel to life at Atlanta this past weekend.
The picture with the costumes speaks louder than words. Look at Uriel Septim—he looks as if he is ready to step out of Oblivion foreshadowing some vague mission. Look at Azura—the Daedric Prince of Dusk and Dawn—she takes the form of a goddess among mortals. It is awe-inspiring. The Daedric Princes deserve that kind of detail. It is clear and congratulations that they put a lot of love and probably a lot of months trying to perfect every stitch and prop.
The comments from users are quite funny. For instance, “That Azura cosplay omg 😍” captures the same excitement that I felt. Another comment, “gasp the emperor is alive,” is very amusing among Elder Scrolls fans because of… you know. Then there’s someone commenting “By Azura, by Azura 😍,” a line from every Oblivion player’s dream, which is iconic.
There was one particular thing that completely distracted Elder Scrolls fans, and of course, it had to be Skyrim 2. It resonated with so many people when one fan commented, “@ElderScrolls @wild_mewtwo I’d like the Elder Scrolls VI to come out before I’m an adult with responsibilities and am allowed to waste away all day still but I’m not sure that’ll happen.” I believe this is a textbook example of the ‘holding a breath’ phenomenon. Everyone has something like this in their life.
Then, in response to that comment, someone wrote, “Skyrim came out before I was a senior in HS. I’m now nearly 31 and married. God I hope they don’t fuck this up.” This one really hits because we know, it’s been so long since that game dropped and those players that were in high school are now full grown adults with families. Frankly, I think the wait for ES6 has spilled into new generations.
There was even some spicy drama in the comments with someone asking `Any chance of fixing the memory leak issue for Oblivion Remastered? Or did we all just get scammed by you again?`, and that is very yikes. That is very yikes. Real frustration coming through there. Bethesda’s been catching some heat recently and wonderfully, players have shown zero shame about fueling it, even on a cosplay appreciation post.
I say people were being wowed simply because there is excellent work. One person said “Outstanding costumes.” Someone else said, “Wow, that Azura cosplay is so well done.” “Where my Bretons atttt” made me kind of laugh. Seriously, where ARE the Bretons? People we need some representation!
What amazes me is the unity of the Elder Scrolls community because of this. While cosplay is a big part of a gamer’s life, those that cosplay the beloved game characters in fighting games do so, making this community special. It keeps the games alive between releases, provides a place to connect, and makes the whole experience better.
If you’ve been to Dragoncon, you’ve noticed it is known for gaming cosplay, but Elder Scrolls cosplay is singled out because of the Daedric Prince’s intricate Daedric Prince armor the outfits have. You cannot half-ass a Daedric Prince outfit; you either do it fully or not do it at all, and the Daedric Prince’s love shows.
With Dragoncon, covering other cons as well, I find it curious observing the participants’ pick of characters to cosplay. Uriel Septim, although an icon in the lore, isn’t a focus in the game. Azura, a popular deity, the Blade and even ‘everyone knows the Blades.’ This character choosing highlights the detailed appreciation of the Elder Scrolls world far beyond the focus on the main character.
Amidst this, Bethesda is just there saying, “look at the cool costumes our fans made” while folks desperately write in the comments, “GIVE US ELDER SCROLLS 6 ALREADY!” This is the gaming community classic; no matter the reason, the opportunistic fans always bring up the next game’s release in the conversation.
Regardless, publicly thanking these cosplayers is the only little news from Bethesda, because it is evident that they are clearly appreciating these amazing costumes while keeping the Tamriel spirit alive. I know the cosplayers are quietly waiting for the next Dragoncon to craft another “masterpiece” costume, so it is unfortunate, or for some a matter of lack of patience, that the next chapter is on hold.
The comments didn’t just focus on the cosplay, as someone brought up, “Any chance of fixing the memory leak issue for Oblivion Remastered? Or did we all just get scammed by you again?” which shows that frustration was inbound. It has become a pattern from Bethesda, as the company has been receiving a lot of heat and the players are not holding anything back, not even on a light-hearted post reported to cosplay.
