Skyrim Anniversary Edition is Skyrim Special Edition plus a large pack of Creation Club content. It is not a different game. If you already own Special Edition, the Anniversary Upgrade adds that content to the copy you have.
For mods, the names cause confusion. When a mod page says “SE” or “AE”, it almost always means a game version, 1.5.97 or 1.6 and newer, not which edition you paid for. A mod needs Creation Club content only when its page lists a Creation as a requirement.
Every fact on this page comes from Bethesda’s store and news pages and from the SKSE team, checked on October 16, 2026. Skyrim was one of our first games back in 2012, and we covered its mods long before either edition existed.
What each edition includes
| Special Edition | Anniversary Edition | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | October 28, 2016 | November 11, 2021 |
| Base game and add-ons | Yes: the game and its add-ons, with remastered art and effects | Yes, the same |
| Creation Club content | Four free Creations | Everything released up to November 11, 2021: “over 500 unique pieces of content”, in Bethesda’s words |
| Game version | The same. Both get every update. | |
| If you own Special Edition | Buy the Anniversary Upgrade, or single Creations | |
The four free Creations arrived with the 2021 update for every Special Edition owner: Saints & Seducers with its two new quests, Rare Curios with goods for the Khajiit caravans, Survival Mode, and Fishing, with more than 20 kinds of fish to catch. So every Special Edition copy already has those.
The Anniversary Edition adds the rest of the Creation Club catalog as it stood in November 2021. That includes Creations that were new in 2021, such as Ghosts of the Tribunal and The Cause. Bethesda also sells Creations one by one, so you do not need the whole upgrade for one item.
Why “SE” and “AE” on mod pages mean game versions
On November 11, 2021, Bethesda released Update 1.6 alongside the Anniversary Edition. It went to the Special Edition on Steam as well, so everyone moved to version 1.6, upgrade or not. SKSE plugins, which hook into the game’s code, had to be rebuilt for the new version.
That is where the labels come from. The Skyrim Script Extender (SKSE) calls its build for the current Steam version the “Anniversary Edition build” and advises: “If you are using the latest version on Steam, download the AE build.” The build for 1.5.97 is still there “to support people who have downgraded their installation or otherwise prevented updates.” So an “AE” file on a mod page is the file for the current game, even if you never bought the upgrade.
| Game version | Where | SKSE build | SKSE calls it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.7.104 | Steam, current | 2.3.1 | Anniversary Edition build |
| 1.6.1179 | GOG | 2.2.6 | GOG Anniversary Edition build |
| 1.5.97 | Steam, downgraded or update-blocked | 2.0.20 | Special Edition build |
SKSE does not support the Game Pass (Windows Store) or Epic Games Store releases. Mods that need SKSE do not work there at all.
Address Library
Some SKSE plugins also need Address Library for SKSE Plugins, a database that makes plugins work across game versions. Its current file, version 13, is “for ALL game versions up to 1.7.104.0”. If a mod lists it as a requirement, install it with SKSE.
The August 2026 update
On August 20, 2026, Bethesda released Update 1.7.99, the first game update in more than two years. The SKSE team had warned about it on August 14. Most of the notes are about Creations and consoles: mod storage on PlayStation 5 and Xbox rises to 15 GB, the Creations store gets bundles and new sorting, and some Creations from Verified Creators no longer block achievements, though that needs a new game. There are also crash fixes, including one for the on-screen keyboard on Steam Deck.
For PC modders, the new version number is the real change. SKSE 2.3.1 now targets 1.7.104, and Address Library has a file for it too. SKSE plugins built for 1.6.1170 may stop working until their authors update them. The SKSE site’s advice after a game patch: “Remove the files from Data/SKSE/Plugins and try again. Mods using plugins probably need to be updated.” Check each plugin’s page before you update a modded game. SkyUI is a good example: its notes list 1.5.97, 1.6.1170 and 1.6.1179, and no 1.7 version yet.
Which one should you get?
- You only play with mods from Nexus Mods: Special Edition is enough. The game version is the same either way.
- You want the Creation Club quests and gear: buy the Anniversary Edition, or the Anniversary Upgrade if you already own Special Edition.
- A mod lists a Creation as a requirement: you need that Creation. Check whether it is one of the four free ones before you buy anything.
- You buy on GOG: SKSE’s GOG build is for the Anniversary Edition release, game version 1.6.1179.
- You play on a console: mods come through the in-game Creations menu, and SKSE mods are not available.
To set up mods on PC, start with a mod manager. Our Mod Organizer 2 guide explains how it differs from Vortex.
Sources
- Skyrim Special Edition on Steam, with the Anniversary Edition and Upgrade
- Skyrim Special Edition news on Steam: “A look at Skyrim’s upcoming Anniversary Edition”, Update 1.6 and Update 1.7.99
- Skyrim Anniversary Edition on Bethesda.net
- Skyrim Script Extender (SKSE) and SKSE64 on Nexus Mods
- Address Library for SKSE Plugins on Nexus Mods