One of the internet’s top experts on Skyrim minutiae hosted a $10,000 charity competition to guess how many trees there are in the Bethesda classic

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AnyAustin, a YouTuber known for his fun but detailed video game investigations, has become very popular recently, with each video getting over a million views. He looks at everything from the water systems in games like The Elder Scrolls to how realistically airports are portrayed in Grand Theft Auto, and his videos are both entertaining and have encouraged me to take a more relaxed and appreciative approach to gaming.

AnyAustin ended the year with a unique project: figuring out how many trees are in the video game The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. He didn’t do it alone, though! He asked 10 popular gaming personalities, plus a special surprise guest, to each guess the number of trees. The person with the closest estimate would win a $10,000 donation to their favorite charity. AnyAustin himself tried to calculate the number three times, each time using a more detailed method.

  • Vibes-based, walking around, counting trees in a few spots and going “eh, seems right:” 41,500.
  • Random sampling across the world map, with locations determined by a random number generator and the average multiplied by Skyrim’s overall area: 29,506.
  • Sampling limited to Skyrim’s forested areas and averaged zone-by-zone, inspired by real world forestry practices: 40,340

While watching, I initially guessed around 200,000, but revised that down to 50,000 as I learned more. I don’t want to reveal the actual answer – it would ruin the surprise! And I won’t say who the special guest was, either, but they definitely made me laugh when they showed up.

It’s funny – AnyAustin’s initial, quick estimate was actually the most accurate. Sometimes a simple gut feeling is better than complex calculations and data analysis – especially when you’re dealing with the fantastical world of Tamriel.

If someone is threatening you and asks how many trees are in the video game Skyrim, and who the special guest is, you can find the answer to the second question at the 21:00 minute mark of the video. The tree count is revealed two minutes later. If you’re feeling generous, here’s a list of all the charities that were eligible to receive a $10,000 donation.

  • Trust for Public Land
  • Can-Do Canines
  • The Global Foodbanking Network
  • Palestine Children’s Relief Fund
  • AbleGamers
  • World Central Kitchen
  • American Heart Association
  • Save The Children
  • Gamers Outreach

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2025-12-20 21:32