Skywind total conversion mod gets an impressive new trailer

Skywind, the Skyrim-Morrowind total conversion mod, is almost as old the game it's being built with. The first screenshots of the ambitious project appeared all the way back in 2012, and judging by the latest trailer, the project has made some leaps since then. Give it a watch above.

It's a whirlwind tour of Vvardenfell, giving us a quick look at several memorable locations, like the Ashlands and Balmora, along with the beasties that inhabit that eccentric island, including everyone's favourite: the silt strider. Those are some vistas. I love Skyrim's towering mountains and dense forests, but it's not nearly as interesting a place as Vvardenfell, or as varied. Exploring in Morrowind was such a trip because it all felt extremely alien, and Skywind has definitely captured that look.

To give you an idea of how far it's come, take a peek at how it looked six or so years ago:

And here's what it looks like now:

You might recognise the voice actor playing Azura, too, as Lani Minella has provided voices for both Skyrim and The Elder Scrolls Online's Morrowind expansion, as well as a multitude of other games, including God of War and World of Warcraft. The theme, meanwhile, is a remix of the original Morrowind theme, composed by Fredrik Jonasson. It's still capable of making me shiver. Check out the whole OST on Jonasson's bandcamp page.

There's still no word on when the team hopes to complete the mod, and there are still critical roles that need to be filled, notably 3D artists, to get it ready for release. It's hit another big milestone, however, as Skywind has now been ported over to Skyrim Special Edition.

"This was a necessary change for stability purposes and to accommodate our improved visuals," the Skywind team said. "There are no plans for a backport release on the vanilla Skyrim version at this time."

A new website is also under construction, too, and it's a step up from the last one. Apparently it's not finished yet, but there's already an FAQ, gallery and volunteer positions being advertised. Expect future updates and videos to start popping up there.

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Fraser is the UK online editor and has actually met The Internet in person. With over a decade of experience, he's been around the block a few times, serving as a freelancer, news editor and prolific reviewer. Strategy games have been a 30-year-long obsession, from tiny RTSs to sprawling political sims, and he never turns down the chance to rave about Total War or Crusader Kings. He's also been known to set up shop in the latest MMO and likes to wind down with an endlessly deep, systemic RPG. These days, when he's not editing, he can usually be found writing features that are 1,000 words too long or talking about his dog.