Sony's Holiday Sale offers The Elder Scrolls Online for less than $5 on PS Store, a 75% discount, available until January 8. The game includes the base version and Morrowind Chapter, but players need a PlayStation Plus subscription and may want to purchase the 2025 Content Pass for new content.
Sackbird Studios, a Baltimore-based game development studio formed by former developers of The Elder Scrolls Online and Project Blackbird, is creating an original game for consoles and PC, emphasizing creative independence and a developer-first environment.
Matt Firor, head of Zenimax Online Studios, announced his departure after layoffs and the cancellation of the company's upcoming MMO, The Elder Scrolls Online, amid widespread layoffs at Microsoft-owned studios affecting multiple projects and staff, with only Xbox head Phil Spencer confirmed to remain in his position.
The Elder Scrolls Online launches its major update, Seasons of the Worm Cult, introducing a new zone called Solstice, a storyline involving the Worm Cult, new gameplay mechanics, and the feature of subclassing that enhances build customization, with content accessible at any level and ongoing evolving storylines.
The creative director of The Elder Scrolls Online, Matt Firor, criticizes the hype around the Metaverse, stating that virtual worlds and MMOs have been providing similar experiences for over 20 years. He emphasizes the importance of community and content over speculative virtual property, and suggests that the tech for displaying virtual worlds has been around for decades. Firor's comments reflect a sentiment shared by many in the gaming industry, highlighting the disconnect between the Metaverse's sales pitch and the existing capabilities of MMOs and virtual worlds.
The Elder Scrolls Online faced challenges in its development, particularly in defining its identity as an online game while staying true to the Elder Scrolls series. The release of Skyrim forced the team to reevaluate and make significant changes to better align with the beloved single-player game. Over the years, the game has evolved, introducing updates like 'One Tamriel' and 'Chapters' to improve player experience and accessibility. Despite past struggles, The Elder Scrolls Online has grown into a thriving MMO with over 24 million players, and its upcoming expansion, Gold Road, continues to expand the game's world and story.
The director of The Elder Scrolls Online, Matt Firor, emphasizes the game's ongoing success after announcing it has made over $2 billion in customer spend, aiming to highlight its achievements in the gaming industry. Despite not receiving as much mainstream attention as other juggernauts, Firor acknowledges the dedicated community's commitment and the studio's love for the game. The MMO's success is evident, with an average annual revenue of $200 million over the past decade, showcasing its significant impact in the gaming landscape.
As The Elder Scrolls Online celebrates its 10th anniversary, the MMORPG has evolved into a thriving and successful game that caters to a wide range of players, offering traditional Elder Scrolls content and social activities. With the upcoming Gold Road chapter and a focus on player preferences, TESO continues to attract a loyal fanbase and remains a prominent MMORPG, outperforming some AAA games and providing a reliable console experience. As fans await future Bethesda releases, TESO offers a compelling and enduring alternative within the Elder Scrolls universe.
The Elder Scrolls Online's upcoming expansion, Gold Road, will introduce the region of West Weald, featuring new quests, challenges, and a 30-hour main storyline focused on Daedric prince Ithelia. Players will also encounter a new world event, Mirrormoor Incursions, and gain access to Fargrave's Lucent Citadel, which houses a new 12-player PvE Trial. The expansion also brings Skill Styling for customizing ability visuals and Scribing for customizing Grimoires. Gold Road launches for PC and Mac on June 3, with a console release following on June 18.
The Elder Scrolls Online's new expansion, Gold Road, set for release on June 3, 2024, will feature locations from Oblivion, including the city of Skingrad. The expansion introduces 30 hours of new main quest content, a new Daedric Prince, two new zones, and a gameplay system called Scribing for customizing skills. A smaller DLC, Scions of Ithelia, will be released in March 2024, adding new dungeons to the game.
The Elder Scrolls Online's upcoming chapter, Gold Road, will introduce a new Daedric Prince named Ithelia, with the story revolving around her unexpected awakening and the race to find her before others with nefarious purposes do. The chapter, launching in June, will take place in the West Weald area of Tamriel and introduce the Scribing system, allowing players to customize specific skills and appearance. Alongside new features, ESO's 10th anniversary celebrations and events are planned for 2024 and 2025, while The Elder Scrolls VI is still in pre-production, leaving fans with ESO and the recently announced mobile game, The Elder Scrolls: Castles, to satisfy their Elder Scrolls cravings.
The next free games on the Epic Games Store have been announced, with The Elder Scrolls Online and Murder by Numbers available to claim from July 20-27. These titles will replace Train Valley 2, which is currently free until July 20. Epic Games Store gave away 99 free games last year, worth a combined $2,240, and users claimed over 700 million titles. Epic also hinted at more high-profile exclusives coming to the store. In other news, Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 3: Wilds was launched, introducing a collapsed island with a hidden jungle and new weapons.