The Elder Scrolls Online is switching things up BIG TIME in 2023. Rather than do another typical year-long story as ESO has done in the past, 2023 will still include a Chapter Release but also an updated Quarter 3 and Quarter 4 release that focuses on New Systems, Quality Of Life Improvements and Bug Fixes!
ESO 2023 Roadmap Revealed
Zenimax Online Studios Director Matt Firor recently revealed an updated Roadmap for The Elder Scrolls Online that has some similarities to past years but also some BIG differences. 2023 will see ESO move away from the typical year-long adventure stories. Matt stated that “I think these have run their course and frees us up to do some new and interesting content that we’ve been wanting to do for a few years now—and lets us return to expansive story arcs that unfold over multiple Chapters. This year-long strategy was a huge success and raised the profile of ESO, but now after four straight years, we’re finding more and more that this cadence limits what we can do.”
The new 2023 ESO Roadmap will instead add in Quality Of Life Improvements, Bug Fixes and new “Tentpole” system to the game:
- Q1: Dungeon DLC.Â
- Q2: Full-featured Chapter in June. The ESO: Necrom Chapter will be a complete story – you will be able to play all the way through it without a storyline that is broken out and reserved for later in the year. We will return to larger/better and more detailed Chapters by doing this.
- Q3: Focus on Quality-of-Life improvements and bug fixes.Â
- Q4: Rather than the usual zone DLC, we’ll be featuring a new system. We are working on the concept and design for this now. The system is described as an “Endless Dungeon” you can complete with a buddy.
Source: Zenimax Online Studios
Quarter 1 Dungeon DLC: Scribes Of Fate
In the upcoming Scribes of Fate DLC, players can delve into two new four-player PvE dungeons and battle their way past the twisted acolytes of the Scribes of Mora in Scrivener’s Hall or contend with the temporal magics of Bal Sunnar. Each dungeon is set to challenge you and your team with Normal and Veteran difficulties (including Hard Mode) and features its own quest and rewards.
Scribes of Fate also kicks off the Shadow Over Morrowind saga. What you uncover within these dungeons will have consequences for all of Tamriel, so gather your most-trusted allies and prepare to dive into two mysterious and unpredictable adventures.
Scribes of Fate will go live on March 13, 2023, for PC/Mac, and March 28, 2023, for Xbox and PlayStation consoles.
Quarter 2 Chapter: Necrom, Shadows Over Morrowind
ESO’s next Chapter Expansion has the confirmed titled: NECROM! It will be taking place in the Telvanni Peninsula and feature the Daedric Prince Hermaeus Mora as well a brand new class – the Arcanist!
The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom chapter will feature two new playable zones!
First, players will venture across a portion of the Morrowind Province known as the Telvanni Peninsula to discover more about the lore of the Dark Elves who call this part of Morrowind home. Next, players will dive deep into the eldritch curiosities held within Apocrypha, the realm of Oblivion that the Daedric Prince of Knowledge claims as his own.
In Necrom, you become an agent of Hermaeus Mora tasked with investigating a mysterious threat to the Daedric Prince’s most closely guarded secrets. You must seek out lost knowledge deep within the heart of the City of the Dead and walk between realities to uncover a vast conspiracy powerful enough to endanger Nirn and Oblivion alike.
This brand new chapter DLC is set to arrive for PC/Mac on June 5, 2023, and for Xbox and PlayStation consoles on June 20, 2023! Be sure to check out our Full Necrom Chapter Guide for more details!
New Class: The Arcanist!
It’s confirmed! The Elder Scrolls Online will finally get another new class in 2023 – the Arcanist! This new and powerful class will release in Quarter 2 of 2023 as part of the Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom Chapter update. Empowered by the secrets of Apocrypha and the forbidden knowledge of Hermaeus Mora, The Arcanist is a powerful new Class capable of destructive, restorative, or defensive magic by channeling the arcane, ancient runes and lost tomes of power.
This class is very exciting and we have already have a Full Arcanist Class Guide for you to check out!
Empowered by the secrets of Apocrypha and the forbidden knowledge of Hermaeus Mora, The Arcanist is a powerful new Class capable of destructive, restorative, or defensive magic by channeling the arcane, ancient runes and lost tomes of power.
Quarter 3: Quality Of Life and Bug Fixes
In the 3rd quarter of 2023, the ESO dev team will not be releasing a typical Dungeon DLC, but instead be focusing on quality of life updates and bug fixes to improve the overall game. This will also provide the team enough time to finish their planned new System described as an “Endless Dungeon.”
Quarter 4: New System
We know very little about the new proposed system coming to The Elder Scrolls Online in 2023. Creative Director Rich Lambert gave us a small taste of what to come when he described it as an Endless Dungeon players could complete with a buddy. It’s speculated that this might be a new 2-person arena which has been requested by ESO players for many years. It’s unclear whether players can venture in Solo or with a Companion, though both options may be possible as well. Stay tuned for more information to come as soon as we get it!
Hardware And Server Upgrades in 2023
All new ESO Datacenter hardware is now being put into place and once fully tested should be operational by March or April 2023. All three Realms in the EU datacenter will be updated first, followed by the remaining the NA datacenters including X Box and Playstation datacenters.
Multi-threading work continues that shoud also result in better overall server performance. These specific changes will be phased in over the course of 2023, starting with the New ESO Chapter in Quarter 2 of 2023.
