Helpful Skyrim Exploit Still Works 13 Years Later (2024)

The so-called restoration loop exploit in The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is still alive and well even as the game is pushing 13. This well-publicized glitch has long allowed players to trivialize Skyrim with ridiculously overpowered items.

There has been no shortage of immensely helpful Skyrim exploits that the fandom has discovered since Bethesda's open-world RPG first released to critical acclaim in 2011. Even so, few have proven to be as reliable and versatile as the restoration loop glitch, which allows players to infinitely boost their equipment enhancement abilities by abusing Fortify Enchantment potions and the Fortify Alchemy enhancement from the Restoration school of Magicka.

Although Bethesda patched some of the game's exploits over the years, the restoration loop glitch still works as of 2024, almost 13 years since Skyrim debuted on PC and seventh-generation consoles. This was most recently verified by Reddit user Calieoop, who employed the battle-tested exploit to enchant a Legendary Dragonplate Insulated Cuirass to a ridiculous degree; following some looping, they ended up with a piece of gear boasting 30,180 armor points while boosting their health pool by 63,858 HP.

Apart from essentially making them unkillable, this Heavy Armor also increased the player's in-game net worth by quite a margin, as its bonkers stats resulted in a valuation of 883,300 Septims. Reflecting on their achievement, Calieoop revealed that they actually had enough resources to push these broken stats even higher. But after deciding to stop, they realized that selling just one of their remaining Fortify Enchantment potions was enough to max out their Speech skill due to the overpowered nature of these items.

How To Use Skyrim Restoration Loop Exploit (Armor Example)

1. Add a Fortify Alchemy enchantment to a piece of armor (with some kind of an effect) using an enchantment table.
2. Equip the enchanted armor.
3. Craft a Fortify Enchantment potion using an alchemy table.
4. Drink the potion.
5. Keep repeating steps 1-4 until satisfied with the resulting stats or while resources allow.

Restoration loop applications in Bethesda's 2011 RPG aren't limited to armor buffs. For example, one player has previously successfully utilized this well-documented exploit in order to create a Skyrim version of the One Punch Man protagonist. Likewise, the same glitch can also be used for propping up other types of builds by e.g., concocting overpowered Fortify Destruction potions that make each offensive spell hit like a nuke.

Another popular application of the restoration loop is using it to boost offensive weapon effects. One of the most astonishing examples of that strategy emerged online in early 2023 in the form of a Skyrim weapon that can paralyze enemies for 68 years. Players using mods should bear in mind that most unofficial patches for the game eliminate this exploit.

Skyrim

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RPG

Action

Adventure

Franchise

The Elder Scrolls

Platform(s)

PC , PS3 , Xbox 360 , Xbox One , Xbox One X , Xbox Series S , PS4 , PS5 , Switch

Released

November 11, 2011

Developer(s)

Bethesda

Publisher(s)

Bethesda

Engine

Creation

ESRB

M for Mature: Use of Alcohol, Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes

Expansions

Skyrim: Dragonborn , Skyrim: Hearthfire , Skyrim: Dawnguard

How Long To Beat

26 Hours

X|S Enhanced

Yes

File Size Xbox Series

30 GB (May 2024)

Metascore

73

PS Plus Availability

Extra & Premium

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