All Articles: The Elder Scrolls Online

Bethesda has announced that some changes to the way you play will be coming soon to The Elder Scrolls Online. But first, they’ve also confirmed that the MMO will launch for the PS4 and the Xbox One in a special “Tamriel Unlimited” edition on June 9.

“Tamriel Unlimited” will serve as the basis of Bethesda’s new philosophy for The Elder Scrolls Onlibe going forward. Beginning March 17, the publisher will discontinue the game’s monthly fee for all players in a special update. For new players, this means that a one-time purchase of the game disc is all that’s required to jump into the world of The Elder Scrolls Online.

However, an optional subscription tier will still exist for those who want it. The ESO Plus plan will offer access to “exclusive in-game bonuses, a monthly allotment of crowns to use in the store, and all DLC game packs.” All current players will automatically be enrolled in ESO Plus after the “Tamriel Unlimited” update in March.

The “Tamriel Unlimited” edition of the game (on the PC, PS4, and Xbox One) will include all of its updates and content additions, including the Justice and Champion systems. For players looking to get the most out of The Elder Scrolls Online, Bethesda also plans to offer optional downloadable content in the future and an in-game Crown Store for the purchase of customization items.

To celebrate this good news, Bethesda has released a new cinematic trailer, “The Confrontation,” for The Elder Scrolls Online. It’s been embedded above.

A few days ago, Bethesda announced an impressive voice cast for The Elder Scrolls Online. Today, they’ve unveiled an equally impressive special edition for the game.

The “Imperial Edition” will be available in both digital and physical formats. The $79.99 Digital Edition will feature a variety of in-game gear including:

• Play as an Imperial: Become an Imperial and play in any Alliance. Gain unique bonuses, crafting styles, gear, and more.
• White Imperial Horse: Summon this Imperial mount and journey through Tamriel with speed.
• Mudcrab Vanity Pet: Explore Tamriel with a mudcrab pet scuttling along by your side.
• Rings of Mara: Complete the Ritual of Mara with a friend and receive an experience bonus when you play together.

The Physical Edition has been priced slightly higher, $99.99, but it will include all the Digital Edition content as well as several goodies you can touch and feel:

• Molag Bal Statue: A 12” statue featuring Molag Bal, Daedric Prince of domination and enslavement.
• The Improved Emperor’s Guide to Tamriel: A 224-page illustrated guide annotated by the Imperial scholar, Flaccus Terentius.
• Physical Map of Tamriel: A 21” x 26” printed map detailing Alliance-controlled zones and the ultimate conquest: Cyrodiil.
• Steelbook Packaging: A limited edition steel case decorated in the color of the Imperials.

Players who pre-order either edition (or the $59.99 Standard Edition) will also receive the Explorer’s Pack, a special bit of DLC that includes a Scuttler vanity pet, four bonus treasure maps, the ability to play as any of the nine races in any Alliance, and five days of Early Access ahead of the game’s April 4 launch. The Elders Scrolls Online will also be available for the PS4 and Xbox One in June.

And if you’re desperate for more ESO, we’ve got a brand new cinematic trailer, “The Arrival,” after the break. (more…)

Bethesda never skimps when it comes to hiring actors and actresses for the vocal roles in their games. The Elder Scrolls Online is no different.

“In The Elder Scrolls tradition, we sought world class talent to add a deep and enriching component to the immersive world the series offers players,” said Game Director Matt Firor. “This extraordinary group of actors helps bring the distinctive characters in The Elder Scrolls Online to life.”

So what will The Elder Scrolls Online’s cast of characters look like? Well…

• Cadwell (John Cleese) is a cheerful and endearingly mad lost soul who is not afraid of anyone, even a Daedric Prince.
• High King Emeric (Bill Nighy) is a merchant prince whose luck and determination won him the throne.
• Queen Ayrenn (Kate Beckinsale) is the leader of the Aldmeri Dominion and Queen of the High Elves. She is far more comfortable with a blade than her crown.
• Abnur Tharn (Alfred Molina) is a wily old wizard and politician who is the head of the Empire’s Elder Council, and the de facto power behind the Ruby Throne.
• Azura (Lynda Carter) is the Daedric Princess of Dusk and Dawn from Skyrim who is a popular part of Elder Scrolls lore.
• The Prophet (Michael Gambon) is a mysterious blind man who guides the player through their journey to retrieve their soul.
• Molag Bal (Malcolm McDowell) is an evil Daedric god from another plane who schemes to enslave the mortal souls of Tamriel.
• Jorunn the Skald King (Peter Stormare) is an unexpected monarch who led his people into an unlikely alliance.
• Mannimarco (Jim Ward) is a renegade High Elf wizard exiled from the realm for raising the dead and the world’s most powerful necromancer.
• Lyris Titanborn (Jennifer Hale) is a Nord half-giant, who, along with the Prophet, aids the player on their journey.
• Sai Sahan (Kevin Michael Richardson) is a noble martial artist and master swordsman.

While most of these actors need no introduction (Alex DeLarge! Mr. Monty Python! Doc Ock! Wonder Woman! Dumbledore!), their characters might. So Bethesda put together the above video to introduce you to the characters they play and (if need be) the actors who play them.

The Elder Scrolls Online will be available for the PC on April 4 with a PS4 and Xbox One version to follow in June.

Bethesda has announced that The Elder Scrolls Online will be released for the PC and Mac on April 4, 2014. In honor of the good news, Game Director Matt Firor has posted an update on ESO’s progress at ElderScrollsOnline.com:

Game development is coming along very well. We completed major systems development, and are focusing on making this the Elder Scrolls game you expect: polishing the hundreds and hundreds of hours of content, making combat even more fun and responsive, fixing quest issues, and much, much more. In fact, we plan on spending the next few months before launch reacting to the latest feedback from internal and external testers and gameplay data we have collected.

The Elder Scrolls Online will also be available for the PS4 and Xbox One, but console gamers will have to wait until June 2014 to explore the massive world the Zenimax Online team is building. But everyone can enjoy the game’s new trailer, “War in Cyrodiil,” which has been embedded above.