Xboxaddict.com Article
The Elder Scrolls Online 10th Anniversary New Content
by Peggy Doyle
I was recently invited to an event where ZeniMax Online Studios revealed some significant changes to the way they deliver content for their game, The Elder Scrolls Online (TESO). Starting out with a "You Belong Here" trailer, this message was carried throughout the entire presentation for the updated content.
After 10 years of TESO, the development team (led by Matt Firor, Susan Kath, and Rich Lambert) is moving away from their content being dropped as annual chapters in favour of a seasonal content approach. This is the biggest shakeup for TESO in quite some time. The annual chapters started in 2017 with Morrowind and then taken players on a world tour through Tamriel - to Elsweyr, Blackwood, and Telvanni. The team has listened to the community asking for more variety of content and this is their best way to do this.
This change will also free up resources to optimize core experiences like graphic upgrades and a refresh of the beginner tutorial. It will also allow the team to explore some new gameplay ideas they've not been able to before.
Players will be able to access a full year's worth of content through a Content Pass ($49.99 USD), that will include all story content, events and dungeons coming through the first year on content called "Seasons of the Worm Cult". This will be a direct continuation of the original base game story line from 2014. It focuses on the resurgence of the Worm Cult, now under the leadership of Wormblood. They are harvesting souls for mysterious purposes.
Content will drop throughout the year in phases, beginning in June 2025. Part 1 will introduce a new area of the Tamriel map, Solstice. This new region is a blend of Altmer and Argonian cultures with a Caribbean climate and atmosphere. The main city in Solstice, Sunport, is jointly ruled between the emerging Argonian Tideborn tribe and exiled Elves. The combination of the two is evident in the architecture and the images shown are gorgeous.
The June update will also include a new 12 player Trail, Ossein Cage, set in Coldharbor. A summer event called ‘Riding Wall' will follow after where all players on a particular server will need to work together in real time to break through a wall made of "soul concrete" to unlock the Eastern region of Solstice. Since this event is server based, different servers could end up accessing the area before others.
Part 2 of the Worm Cult story drops in Q4 of 2025, revealing the ultimate plans of Wormblood and the cultists. The environment shifts from bright to dark, a warning of a sinister plot twist incoming. Some familiar faces will also return, including the Khajiit spy (and fan favourite) Razum-dar, Vanus Galerian and Skordo the knife.
The biggest change coming to TESO is the new subclass system, allowing players who have reached level 50 to unlock skill lines from classes other than their original choice. Because of the choices made available, players are no longer tied to just one of the seven original skill lines and will now have over 3000 possible build combinations to really create a player of their choosing. Players will have to keep one of their original skill lines active and then can activate two others to mix and match. Once you've unlocked the skill lines, they can be used by any character on your account, without the need of each character having to unlock each tree.
Some technical improvements are also on their way, particularly for those who love PvP. Cyrodill Champions mode will simplify skills in large scale PvP environments, allowing three times the current number of players on each battlefield. The starting island will get a refresh with graphical upgrades reworking water, vegetation, and lighting effects. A new tutorial system will allow players who have been away from the game for a while to have a refresher tailored to how long they've been away. These refreshers will also have content rewards. As someone who has been away from TESO for over 4 years, this is exactly what I need to help me find my way back into the game I loved.
These all look like the best time to dive back into The Elder Scrolls Online, whether you've been playing for the past ten years or have been away for more than a handful. ZeniMax wants you to know that "You Belong Here".
