What The Elder Scrolls Online Will Look Like in 2023?

The magnificent MMO created by Zenimax Online and published by Bethesda, the lore-rich MMO that’s been running since 2014, the inevitable MMO with which everyone has a toxic love-hate relationship.

ESO had a difficult year in 2022. The new chapter (High Isle) disappointed the players since the new companions and the card game, which was meant to be the chapter’s selling point, did not live up to their expectations.

The sole new item that gamers liked in this release was the overpowered Oakensoul ring, but it was nerfed quick. So, what are the plans for the next year? Matt Frior (ESO’s game director) sent out a studio letter in late 2022 that stated the following:

• Q1 – New dungeon DLC. Safe start, everbody loves new dungeons, new armor set, new collectibles etc. Great.
• Q2 – A new chapter in June. A full-featured chapter that’s going to switch up the content structure of the game. This means that there will be no more 12 month long storylines. The next chapter will be released in a single story arc that gamers may play all the way through. The goal is to make the new chapter longer and more thorough. Matt mentioned in this letter that a widely desired feature will be introduced to the game.
• Q3 – quality of life improvements. Maybe some bug fixing? Or perhaps the studio is just reallocating resources for the creation of their next MMO. Zenimax began hiring in large numbers in 2022 (approximately 200 new employees), but I’m not sure what this signifies for the future of ESO. It could accelerate the improvement of ESO, or not. This is a double edged sword.
• Q4 – Instead of the usual zone DLC, they will introduce a new system to the game. They are developing the concept and design and will provide extra details during the worldwide reveal event in Q1 of 2023. The majority of the rumors suggest that ZOS will introduce spellcrafting to the game. It appears obvious, because it would have been a base feature of the game from the start, but the studio changed its mind and hasn’t touched the idea since 2014.

The Elder Scrolls Online is experiencing a wind of change. I’m referring to a massive tornado-like storm. It’s fantastic, especially for ESO. There is always opportunity for development, and ZOS has the ability to elevate this MMO to the level of Final Fantasy XIV or World of Warcraft.