Skyrim Developers Are Surprised by the Bucket Trick
In Skyrim, a merchant’s robbery by putting a bucket on his head has become one of the game’s most iconic scenes. However, something unexpected was revealed: This infamous “bucket trick” was discovered entirely by chance. Bethesda hadn’t even imagined that players could manipulate the physics engine in this way.
The Skyrim Team Discovered the Bucket Trick After Launch
Skyrim lead designer Bruce Nesmith confirmed in an interview with FRVR that the incident occurred entirely by accident. Nesmith explained, “During development, no one ever thought someone would put a bucket on an NPC’s head. When players did it, we were surprised.”
This cheat was discovered just one day after the game’s release in 2011. YouTuber TDKPyrostasis demonstrated in a video that merchants could steal invisibly by placing a bucket over their head. This “bucket trick” quickly became legendary, and players practically begged Bethesda not to fix the bug.
Even 13 years later, the bucket trick lives on in the Skyrim community. While some wikis claim the method no longer works, recent tests have shown it still works. Players can still achieve “invisibility” with just a little patience and the right angle.
Bethesda doesn’t seem to have left a similar loophole in Starfield. However, considering the creativity of players, it’s only a matter of time before they find another “legendary cheat” when The Elder Scrolls 6 launches. This story, which began with a bucket in Skyrim, will remain in the memory of one of the funniest coincidences in gaming history.
