As the only MMO in one of the most popular RPG series of all time, The Elder Scrolls Online has been carrying a lot of scrutiny ever since it was first announced back in 2012. Spanning 24 years and 8 separate titles, the Elder Scrolls games have helped to define the first-person RPG sub-genre, which is a tough thing for a new entry to live up to.
Because of this, The Elder Scrolls Online has had quite the journey in the six years following its release. Despite a bumpy start, including sweeping changes to both gameplay and monetization, the MMORPG had managed to sell over 15 million copies by January 2020. From subscription models and premium prices to free-to-play and expansion packs, here’s how ESO has evolved over the past six years.
The Elder Scrolls Online launched on April 4th 2014. After two years of marketing, anticipation was high for the new title, and players flocked to fully explore Tamriel for the first time. However, it quickly became clear to fans and critics alike that the new MMORPG wasn’t all that had been promised.
The game received middling reviews at best, with many feeling that a premium subscription was being charged for a less-than-premium title. The subscription model that had been associated with MMOs for many years was starting to fall out of fashion at the time, and ZeniMax quickly saw which way the wind was blowing. The studio rebranded the game a year later, addressing many of the early criticisms and removing the subscription model.
The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited launched on March 17th 2015 under a new free-to-play/pro-subscription model. The game’s return saw a much warmer critical reception, which ZeniMax has continued to build on over the years. As is standard with MMORPG titles, there has been plenty of DLC for The Elder Scrolls Online, ranging from minor packs to full expansions.
The first two years following the Tamriel Unlimited rebranding saw the map grow with a variety of smaller, themed DLCs. These included packs which allowed players to join some of the most popular factions in the Elder Scrolls Universe: the Thieves’ Guild and the Dark Brotherhood. Each of these DLCs added a new area and new quests to the game, as did The Imperial City, Orsinium, and Shadows of the Hist. However, it wouldn’t be until the beginning of 2017 that ESO saw its first full expansion.
The Chapter DLCs are ESO‘s full expansion packs, and they began with Morrowind in January 2017. The Morrowind expansion took players back to the setting of one of the most popular Elder Scrolls titles, and included multiple new areas, a new class, and a new PvP mode. After the minor Horns of the Reach, Clockwork City, and Dragon Bones DLCs, the next Chapter to arrive was Summerset.
The Summerset expansion, which released in early 2018, was based on Summerset Isle, a region of Tamriel which hadn’t been explored since the very first Elder Scrolls title. Summerset included a new zone, story-line, crafting profession, and magical skill-tree. After Summerset, ZeniMax increased its turnover rate for DLC, and the minor packs Wolfhunter and Murkmire followed not far behind.
The third Chapter arrived in May 2019, and was set in the Khajiit-homeland of Elsweyr. Once again the expansion included a new class and region, as well as a dragon-themed storyline for all those Skyrim fans. The success of Elsweyr helped to solidify the place of The Elder Scrolls Online as one of the most popular current MMOs, and the DLC was nominated for the “Best Game Expansion” award at the Golden Joysticks.
Elsweyr was succeeded by the Scalebreaker, Dragonhold, and Harrowstorm minor DLCs. Finally, in May 2020, ESO received its fourth Chapter, Greymoor. Once again building on the popularity of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, Greymoor greatly expanded the northern region. Fans and critics alike praised the nostalgic return to the area, though some felt that the expansion failed to tell its own story.
From a difficult beginning, The Elder Scrolls Online has grown into an MMO more worthy of its name. With the monetization system that was introduced in 2015 still in place, and more expansions on the horizon, it seems that ZeniMax has discovered the secret of tempting players back to the world of Tamriel.
Elder Scrolls Online is available for Mac, PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.
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