Brodo Swaggins

Exciting news for all travelers of Tamriel. Today ZeniMax Online shared the first details on The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited’s first DLC Game Pack, Imperial City, coming to PC/Mac on August 31st, Xbox One on September 15th, and PlayStation 4 on September 16.The Imperial City, the heart of the Cyrodiilic Empire, has fallen to Daedric Prince Molag Bal and now all three alliances must battle not only against the Daedric forces, but each other. Imperial City, the first DLC game pack for The Elder Scrolls® Online: Tamriel Unlimitedâ„¢, adds hours of additional gameplay featuring new areas, quests, enemies, and exclusive items for those adventuring on their own, in small groups, or with hundreds of others. Imperial City will be included with an active ESO Plus membership. See more of content in the trailer above, and if you’re playing on PC/Mac, you can get a first taste of the content next week on the PTS servers. Stay tuned to ElderScrollsOnline.com for more details on the game’s new features, and be on the lookout for the full Imperial City PTS patch notes later this month. View Original Article

The #BE3 Showcase featured worldwide gameplay premiers of DOOM, Fallout 4 and plenty of other surprises, including the now available Fallout Shelter and just announced games such as The Elder Scrolls: Legends and Dishonored 2. Watch now to also get the new details on The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited, BATTLECRY, and Dishonored; Definitive Edition! Want to skip ahead to one game in particular? We’ve edited the segments for DOOM, Dishonored 2, and Fallout 4. View Original Article

Dark Anchors descend on The Imperial City, a trip to the city of the Orcs (Orsinium), and much more await!The #BE3 Showcase teased a number of new content pieces and features coming to Tamriel. View Original Article

Watch our newest video, Day One in Tamriel, to prepare for your first steps in The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited. View Original Article

To help celebrate this week’s launch of The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited, our Australian office invited presenter and all-round adventurer Sophie Monk to explore the beautiful and expansive lands of Tamriel. With hundreds of hours of exploration, relaxation and adventure, it may just be the most enjoyable and cost-effective summer vacation (or winter vacation in Australia) you could have. Check out Sophie’s adventure .For more information on The Elder Scrolls online: Tamriel Unlimited please visit http://www.elderscrollsonline.com. View Original Article

The day has finally come. The portal is now open for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 gamers to enter the vast world of The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited. All you need to do is step through. Now, it’s understandable if the prospect seems a bit daunting. After all, there aren’t a whole lot of massively multiplayer RPGs available for consoles. And there are places where ESOTU diverges from its console predecessors. But there’s plenty that’s familiar, too. This is an Elder Scrolls game, after all, which means that if you’ve played Morrowind, Oblivion or Skyrim, you’ll find lots of things to make you feel right at home. WHAT’S FAMILIAR Take the control scheme as just one example. If you’ve played previous Elder Scrolls games on consoles, you’re going to notice plenty of similarities with ESOTU’s controls. You’ll be jumping, sneaking, swinging weapons, and firing off blasts from your staff just like you’re used to… and in first- or third-person perspective, too. Combat is every bit as real-time as before, and relies on the same pools of health, stamina and magicka. You’ll even encounter many of the same creatures from previous games – though of course they may look a bit different. (A thousand years can lead to some serious genetic drift.) The world itself has many familiar aspects, too. Though Tamriel is broken up into regions rather than joined in one giant environment, most of those regions are as big as the entirety of previous games (if not bigger). You’ll even run into some familiar locations from previous games, giving you the opportunity to see how much some things can change in a millennium…or how little. And this huge world is as ridiculously packed with things to do, as you’d expect from an Elder Scrolls game. The environments are full of fascinating geography and architecture to discover, and populated with interesting, fully voiced characters. The game comes complete with a central quest line, several other major quest lines, and more optional quests than you can shake a horker tusk at. Fans of the faction gameplay will also be happy to learn that the Fighters Guild and Mages Guild offer their own quest lines. And yes, you can become a werewolf or a vampire. Of course, the game also includes plenty of solitary pursuits, including a suite of crafting systems and powerful skills with branching trees. But more importantly, pretty much the whole game can be a solitary pursuit if you so choose: Unlike most other massively multiplayer online games, you can play the vast majority of ESOTU completely solo. In other words, it’s an Elder Scrolls game. WHAT’S NEW But yes, there’s a lot of new stuff, too. For example… Controls and Interface Although the control fundamentals and user interface will be familiar to fans of previous Elder Scrolls games, ESOTU tweaks things a bit to make the always-real-time nature of a multiplayer game more manageable. The biggest control change is the addition of an action bar to activate selected items, spells and abilities immediately; you no longer need to pause the game and make a selection, or scroll through Favorites with the D-pad. Now, you have six spells and/or abilities, plus one consummable item, available for instantaneous use at the touch of a button. Additional items can be accessed by holding Up on the D-pad and selecting from a radial menu, and a similar (and equally customizable) radial menu is available for “emotes†– that is, gestures like waving or pointing, designed for interacting with other players. And speaking of player interaction, ESOTU on consoles natively supports voice chat, both via private channels and publicly based on proximity to other players. In other words, if you’re wearing a headset and you run into another player, you can simply say “Hi!†and they’ll hear you. (Of course, you can turn off this feature if you’d rather keep to yourself.) Skills and Leveling You’ll notice some differences in skills and leveling, too. For one thing, each of the four classes gets a set of three skill trees all to itself. These skill trees include a mix of active abilities and passive upgrades. Active abilities (which include spells) level up as you use them, eventually growing powerful enough to “morph†into a new, even more useful form. Passive abilities, on the other hand, only become available as the skill itself levels up overall – though they still must be purchased with skill points. This is a good time for a word about skill points: These aren’t handed out only when you level up. You can also earn skill points for completing certain quests. And if you like to explore, you’ll find another great way to earn them: Skyshards. For every three of these shards you find in the world, you earn another skill point to upgrade your character. They’re scattered all over Tamriel…but not always on the beaten path. Know Your Role Now, here’s something about leveling that’s unique to multiplayer games: If you plan to group up with other players (and you really should, because it’s a blast), it’s good to have an idea of what kind of role you’d like to take in that group when allocating those skill points. Do you hope to play a healing or support role? Do you want to be the front-line damage-dealer who keeps enemies focused on you? Do you want to hang back and pepper baddies with arrows and/or spells? Any good group needs a mix of these roles, so it’s good to have an idea of where you want to end up in order to determine where you want to invest your skill points. Of course, if you get deep into the game and decide you want to take your character in a different direction, you don’t have to start over. Simply visit a Rededication Shrine, and you’ll be able to re-allocate every single one of your skill points…for a fee. Keep in mind that your experience will change as your character grows. For one thing, you’ll gain even more skill trees as you progress through the game, from faction-based skills to skills based on new experiences. (For example, if you steal from a friendly character, you’ll unlock the Legerdemain skill tree to help support your new life of crime.) New abilities also unlock at certain levels, which will help you further customize your unique character. Alliance War Level 10 is where one of the biggest changes happens, though. That’s when you get invited to join your alliance in Cyrodiil, to do battle against other players in a zone-spanning war of conquest. This may seem daunting for those of you who have only ever gone up against A.I. opponents in RPGs, but don’t be scared off. For one thing, player-versus-player combat is entirely optional. For another, there’s plenty you can do to help the war effort that doesn’t involve going toe-to-toe with other players. You can pick up quests to secure enemy intel. You can purchase and build siege weapons – catapults, battering rams, boiling oil and the like – to defend your own properties and inflict damage from a safe distance. Or you can find a safe spot to simply heal allies or boost their abilities. Switching Sides But if alliance combat isn’t for you? Just avoid Cyrodiil altogether, as it’s the only place where you can be attacked by other players. Indeed, there’s more than enough to do, thanks to the three-pronged alliance system. See, ESOTU is almost like three full games in one. When you create a character, you’ll choose which alliance he or she is a part of: The Daggerfall Covenant, the Ebonheart Pact, or the Aldmeri Dominion. Each of those three alliances has its own territory, and you won’t have a chance to even set foot in another alliance’s territory. (Well, not until you hit level 50. But that’s a story for another time.) That might sound restrictive if it weren’t for two very significant features of the game. First, each alliance’s territory is bigger than the entirety of Skyrim, Oblivion or Morrowind – and there’s three of them. And second, should you wish to explore a different alliance’s territory, you can simply make a new character for that alliance. You don’t even have to start from scratch; you can transfer gold and items between characters easily by visiting a bank in any major city, and specialty items like mounts and pets are available to all your characters instantly. The Populated World Of course, the biggest way in which ESOTU differs from its predecessors is that you’re adventuring alongside literally thousands of other players. Even if you choose to go it alone, you’ll find yourself immersed in the bustle of other players on similar journeys. There’s no denying that this could be jarring if you’re used to the measured solitude of previous Elder Scrolls games. But understand that your adventure is yours. The quest givers won’t run out of rewards, and other players won’t deplete merchant stocks. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. If you choose to join up with other players through the simple grouping system, you’ll find the going can get a lot easier. There will be times when a group can breeze through a challenge that a solo player might struggle with. Groups can take on special dungeons and challenges designed specifically for multiple players working together. You can formalize your relationships by joining a guild, or temporarily join a party using the group-request system. Either way, you’ll find that Tamriel becomes an even more interesting place when you’re exploring with others. You might even make some lifelong friends. – By Joe Rybicki View Original Article

Console launch day is here! To celebrate the worldwide release of The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited on Xbox One and PS4, we have a letter from Game Director Matt Firor, a new gameplay trailer, and launch week festivities — including contests — to share with you.We’re excited to welcome you to ESOTU’s official launch on Xbox One and PS4. To commemorate this important day, we have a special message to share from Game Director Matt Firor… Today is a huge day for console Elder Scrolls players, as well as all of us here at ZeniMax Online Studios. Today marks the release of The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles. It’s finally time to invite our console community to experience Tamriel in the remote Second Era. We’ve put a ton of time and energy into making the console versions of ESOTU polished and fun – featuring a completely new User Interface specifically designed for console controller play, as well as a custom voice chat system engineered to make meeting and interacting with other players easy and fun. I want to take this moment to thank our community of fans and players, without whom this moment could not have happened. Thank you all so much for your dedication, ideas, commentary, and general awesomeness. You are the reason why we do what we do. And of course, kudos to the team at ZeniMax Online, who have been working long hours to ensure that ESOTU on consoles is amazing and fun. But we’re not done with the launch, of course. We’re continuing to work on new content, which we’ll talk about soon after console launch. We’re committed to always fix problems as we find them, and continuing to ensure that the community is happy and having fun. You are all in for a great time in Tamriel, and we are honored and excited to be the studio that has brought you this experience. Log in, meet some new friends, and adventure through Tamriel. Enjoy the ride! And as always, stay tuned for the next interesting things that we’ll be creating for you. – Matt Visit www.elderscrollsonline.com for more… we can’t wait to see you and your friends in Tamriel! View Original Article

Greetings, Vestige. You are about to embark on a continent-spanning journey, one rife with magic and peril, treasures and terrors. You are about to enter a world where you can spend weeks – months – years of adventure, by yourself or with friends, growing ever more powerful as you range further and further afield from your humble beginnings. There’s just one teensy little wrinkle: You’re dead. Welcome to The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited, a massively multiplayer adventure where you get to save Tamriel once again…along with a few thousand of your closest friends. Massively multiplayer RPGs have existed on PCs for decades, but ESOTU is one of a very small number to make the leap to consoles. We’ve already written a bit about what you need to know before jumping in; now let’s take a look at what you can expect in your first handful of hours. WHO ARE YOU? Back to you. You’re still dead. Sorry about that. Your adventure in The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited starts where most adventures end: in the afterlife. Well, an afterlife. Sort of. It’s complicated. Before we get to that, though, you need to know just who you are. As with any Elder Scrolls game, you have a pretty crazy amount of choices with regard to customizing your in-game avatar. But unlike previous games, your most basic choices will determine much more than innate skills or talents; ESOTU offers three distinct areas and quest selections based on which of the three Alliances you join. Before that, however, you must pick from one of nine different races, each of which is associated with a specific Alliance. Want to be a Breton, Redguard or Orc? You’ll be a member of the Daggerfall Covenant, ranging through Tamriel’s rugged Northwest. Aiming for High Elf, Wood Elf or Khajiit? You’ll join the Aldmeri Dominion, based in the lush Southwest. And Dark Elves, Nords and Argonians make up the Ebonheart Pact, based in the snowy Northeast. Next it’s time to pick a class. ESOTU offers four primary archetypes: Dragonknight, Sorcerer, Nightblade and Templar. Dragonknights are warriors with a generous dose of offensive magical ability; Sorcerers are magic-users with a focus on summoning; Nightblades are assassin types, exploiting stealth and trickery; and Templars are warrior-healers, able to deal out damage to enemies and minimize damage to allies. There’s a lot of variety there, certainly. But here’s something to remember: Your class can be a totally fluid thing. You’ll get a set of three skill trees based on your initial class, but aside from that you’re free to customize your character in any way you see fit. Want to bulk up a Nightblade with heavy armor and two-handed weapons? Go for it. Want to train your Sorcerer in the ways of swordplay as well as magic? Go right ahead. Your character is your character, so feel free to experiment. Now it’s time to decide your character’s appearance. And goodness, are there a lot of options. Height, build, skin color. Heroic, soft, or angular face. Arm size, waist size… posterior dimensions. And of course miniscule tweaks to nose, eyes, hair, mouth – you can pretty much make your avatar look however you want. Once you’ve tweaked your appearance to your satisfaction, it’s time to go explore. THE GREAT ESCAPE And by “go explore†we mean explore the contents of your prison cell. This is an Elder Scrolls game, after all. But never fear: You’ll quickly meet up with one of the major players in ESOTU’s overarching story: Lyris Titanborn, a half-giant Nord who arrives just in time to help you escape, and to fill you in on some important details. Like, for example, the fact that you’re dead. See, you’ve been sacrificed to a Daedric Prince named Molag Bal, and imprisoned in his private plane of Oblivion, known as Coldharbour. You may suspect this is a bad thing. You would be correct. However, Lyris is here to help; she hooks you up with a weapon and teaches you the basics of combat, most notably how to block properly in order to stun your enemy, and how to interrupt an enemy who’s charging up a devastating attack. It’s useful stuff. Soon you meet one of the most important characters in Tamriel at the moment: The Prophet. (Well, you meet a projection of him, but he’s mystical like that.) The Prophet fills you in on more details, and offers a wonderful glimmer of hope: He can get you out of Coldharbour and back to Tamriel. But first you have to find him and free him. “You must rescue me,†he says, “and I in turn must rescue you.†See? Mystical. So, with Lyris at your side, you’ll hack through Molag Bal’s minions on your way to the Prophet’s cell. Along the way you’ll learn more of the fundamentals of ESOTU, like leveling, sneaking, lock-picking and, if you’re observant, treasure-collecting. Once you locate the Prophet, though, you’ll discover that he can’t just waltz out of his cell like you did. He needs someone to take his place. Fortunately, Lyris is an awfully nice lady. And fortunately, the Prophet is a man of his word: He escorts you to an Anchor Mooring – a portal between Coldharbour and Tamriel – and after just a small bit of bother with a 20-foot-tall bone creature, you’re on your way back home. THE WORLD IS YOURS Only, as we mentioned earlier, “home†depends entirely on which Alliance you’ve chosen to join. Members of the Daggerfall Covenant begin in the bustling city of Daggerfall, home to King Casimir. Those allied with the Ebonheart Pact begin in the exotic Davon’s Watch, currently under attack by those pesky Covenant types. And members of the Aldmeri Dominion materialize in Vulkhel Guard, a sprawling and picturesque town on an island off the southwest coast of Tamriel. Wherever you begin, though, you’ll be sent on your way by one last projection from our friend the Prophet. He’ll inform you that the portal dumped you into the sea, where you were rescued by a passing ship. He’ll encourage you to seek out your rescuers, and to keep an eye out for others working toward the same goal. “We do not face these troubled times alone,†he says (mystically). “Many shall rise up to fight this tide of darkness. Wherever you go, you will encounter others who share your courage and valor. Help them if you can, and enlist their aid if you have need of it.†And from here? You’re free. You’re free to follow the Prophet’s advice and track down the kind souls who pulled you from the drink. You’re free to ignore his advice altogether and head off into the countryside. You’re free to explore the town, learn a trade, go fishing – it’s up to you. Each Alliance offers its own vast array of experiences, from far-reaching quests of political intrigue to quick-and-dirty dungeon crawls found nowhere else. CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE Should you decide to follow the Prophet’s guidance, however, you’ll find similarities in all three Alliances. First, you’ll find a character near your starting point who can point you toward the folks who rescued you. This is a “quest-giver,†and if you haven’t played many massively multiplayer games, you might be in for some surprises. Now, it’s likely you’ll see other players crowding around quest-givers. Do not be alarmed; this is normal. Many others will be walking the same path as you. But you don’t need to wait your turn – just wade in and engage with the NPC, and he or she will give you undivided attention. If you’re familiar with Elder Scrolls games, it won’t come as a surprise that you’ll be meeting up with more and more quest-givers as you progress in ESOTU. Keep in mind that how you address those potential quests is totally up to you. You can take them one by one, making sure to finish off a quest before taking on another. Or you can talk to everyone with a quest icon over their heads, rack up a huge number of options in your Quest Log, and polish them off in any order you choose. You won’t be penalized for either approach, so do what feels most comfortable. One thing you should know, though – especially if you’re most familiar with single-player console RPGs – is that Tamriel is huge. Seriously, huge. And it contains some places that are really, really nasty. Some quests, even early on, may send you into those nasty areas…and nothing will artificially prevent you from going there, even if you’ve just started the game. So keep an eye on the suggested level indicators in your Quest Log before you stray too far from your starting areas. But don’t worry; as you complete more quests, you’ll grow in power, able to roam more freely with confidence. If you do want to take on tougher baddies, though, remember that you’re never alone. At any given point in the game, you’ll be able to group up with friends, or make new friends out of friendly strangers. The initial few hours may feel a little solitary, but that’s by design, to let you get your feet under you before heading out into the great wide world. As you ease into the ESOTU experience, you’ll have periodic help from the Prophet, who will guide you along the path to fulfilling the game’s most crucial quests. You’ll grow in power in ways you can hardly imagine. And you’re going to have a few thousand fellow travelers to help you out if you get into a jam. And hey, how tough can it get? After all, you’ve been dead already. It’s all downhill from here. – By Joe Rybicki View Original Article

Create an epic collection containing all of your Bethesda favorites thanks to Funko’s new line of Pop! figures. Spanning from the Capital Wasteland of Fallout 3 all the way over to Tamriel with Skyrim and The Elder Scrolls Online, Funko’s adorable Pop! vinyl figures come in all of your favorite iconic characters. Fast travel to the Bethesda Store to secure yours today. Speaking of Fallout…. Share in the excitement of the Fallout 4 announcement with the first official shirts on store.bethsoft.com. Preorder them together and get them both for $30 until June 12th. View Original Article

Gstaff is a man of his convictions when it comes to loyalty to the best and boldest of assassin guilds, The Dark Brotherhood. We dive into the darkness with Astrid and co. this Friday with Skyrim’s tales of the Dark Brotherhood quest. The Night Mother calls to us and we must be The Listener! No Black Sacraments will be necessary to be a part of this Sithis party – Today @ 4pm ET only on Twitch.TV/Bethesda. View Original Article

With nine massive and vastly diverse provinces to explore—and Oblivion beyond—Tamriel is a land that beckons to the explorer’s spirit in us all. From hunting the forces of Molag Bal to gathering natural resources for crafting to plumbing ancient ruins for treasure, your next big adventure awaits in Tamriel. Spend hours walking the bustling villages and cities, or strike out on your own to find adventure off the beaten path. For those who take the time to traverse the wilds of Tamriel, a bounty of raw materials, hidden treasure chests, breathtaking vistas, and uncovered mysteries are waiting to be found. Keep your eyes and weapons sharp while exploring, though–Molag Bal’s loyal followers lurk in even the most remote locales. Watch our final video in the ‘This is ESOTU’ series to see more of the expansive world that awaits you in The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited. View Original Article

The countdown to The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited on Xbox One & PlayStation 4 continues with a pretty great contest on Amazon.com. Get on Twitter, follow @amazongames, and retweet this post. Six lucky winners will win one of the consoles above — representing the Aldmeri Dominion, Daggerfall Convenant, and Ebonheart Pact. Note: Contest is for US resident only. Official rules are posted here. View Original Article

Clear your calendars and ready your passport for a trip to Tamriel. June 9 is right around the corner, marking Xbox One and PlayStation 4 owners’ first opportunity to explore the vast, epic, continent-spanning, positively enormous world of The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited. As a massively multiplayer role-playing game, ESOTU is something of a rare beast on consoles. So for you newcomers and MMO-curious, here are seven things you need to know about the console version of The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited. 1. You Can Live Here, Basically The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited is a full-fledged virtual world, loaded with stuff to do, places to see, people to meet, and nasty beasties to slay with gleeful abandon. You can guide a character (or several!) of your own design through an epic, world-shaking story…or hone your provisioning skill to make a really great stew. You can delve into treacherous Ayleid ruins in search of prime gear…or build up your woodworking, blacksmithing, or clothier skills in order to craft your own. You can go head-to-head with armies of other players…or group up with friends to clear out a nearby dungeon. In other words, ESOTU takes the spirit of the previous Elder Scrolls games and expands it. A lot. Not only can you interact with thousands of other players, you can explore all nine massive provinces in Tamriel. Doing so, however, will take a lot of time. How much? Well, since the game launched on PC and Mac, players have logged more than 173 million hours of playtime. That’s almost twenty thousand years. There’s a lot to do, is what we’re saying. 2. You Can Make Friends (and Kill Enemies) ESOTU is, after all, a massively multiplayer online RPG. That means that when you start playing, you’re not just entering your own world; you’re entering an experience shared by thousands of others. Now, to be clear, you don’t have to interact with anyone else if you don’t want to. You can experience the vast majority of this immense game even if you elect to adventure solo. But for those looking to get a little social, ESO offers all kinds of features to support it. There are group dungeons: areas where the enemy counts and the difficulty are tuned specifically to support multiple players working together. But the social element goes way beyond that. The guild system, for example, allows you to group up with hundreds of other like-minded players, sharing resources and communication quickly and easily. Guilds can also set up their own stores, allowing individuals to sell unneeded items to other players. (Players can also trade privately through an easy-to-use gold-on-delivery system that works with ESO’s messaging interface.) And, of course, if your interest in other players is more, ah, adversarial, you can pop over to Cyrodiil for some player-vs.-player combat. The PvP system offers a variety of different competitive options, from running solo missions on behalf of your own Alliance to grouping up to lay siege to enemy keeps. 3. It’s a Trip Back in Time In terms of its story, ESOTU is the earliest of all the Elder Scrolls games, taking place about 800 years before the events of Morrowind and Oblivion – which means right around 1000 years before Skyrim. Without spoiling too much, we can tell you that the story involves an attempt by the Daedric Prince Molag Bal to merge the whole Elder Scrolls universe with his own plane of Oblivion. Which might not be quite so bad if it weren’t for the fact that the whole of Tamriel is basically at war, divided up into three Alliances vying for control of the Ruby Throne in Imperial City. And each of those Alliances has its own set of main quests, side-quests, faction quests, and so on. Why go so far back for this story? “The Second Era – specifically the Interregnum – was the perfect choice for us for two reasons,†says Lead Content Designer Richard Lambert. “First, it hadn’t been fleshed out as well as the Third Era [the setting of all the other Elder Scrolls games except The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard]. So we had a lot more freedom to explore the lore and fill in the gaps. Second, it was a time of constant strife and warring. There were tons of false pretenders to the throne during this period, which fit nicely with our plans to allow players at the top of the leaderboard to become Emperor when their Alliance conquered Cyrodiil.†Oh yeah, did we mention that? You can become Emperor yourself. If you’re very, very good. 4. My, How It’s Grown Growth is a part of any online game, and ESO is no different. The game first hit PCs in April 2014, which means it’s had more than a year to flourish. It’s added two entirely new gameplay zones: Craglorn and Dragonstar Arena. It’s gained a variety of new gameplay features, like a justice system to punish criminals and a whole new skill line to go along with it. And it’s layered in a ton of new upgrades to the visuals, the interface and more. All these upgrades will be present and accounted for in the console version – plus a lot more. “Tamriel Unlimited on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 offers an experience that’s custom-tailored to these consoles,†says Lead Gameplay Designer Chris Strasz. “These versions leverage many of the unique features of each console, including new achievements, built-in voice chat, integration with Xbox Live and PSN, and an all-new interface and control scheme built from the ground up to take advantage of controllers.†Speaking of which… 5. It Has a Completely Redesigned Interface for Consoles This point bears repeating: The UI and controller interface for the console version of ESOTU was designed from the ground up for consoles. That means that the team didn’t have to awkwardly pare down a keyboard-and-mouse control scheme to fit a controller; they built a whole new system. While Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim were great examples of console interfaces in Elder Scrolls games, ESO presented its own challenges. The always-active nature of MMOs, for example, necessitated giving players the ability to trigger abilities instantly, which led to an intuitive system of slotted abilities – which translated easily into controller play. And of course, no MMO would be complete without the ability to express emotion (often via interpretive dance), so ESOTU gained another radial menu with customizable /emote slots. Which means you can shake your booty at the touch of a button. 6. No Subscription Is Required When ESO first launched on PC and Mac, it used a subscription model similar to how MMOs have been doing things since – well, since there was such a thing as an MMO. But with Tamriel Unlimited, players no longer have to pay month-to-month for the privilege of exploring this vast continent. Once you buy the game, it’s yours to play, as long as your Xbox Live or PlayStation Plus subscription is active. That said, ESO does offer an optional membership. It’s called ESO Plus, and it’s a great deal for players looking to get the most out of their time in Tamriel. For as low as $12.99/€10.99/£6.99 a month (depending on the length of your membership), you get a 10% bonus to pretty much all of your character progression: XP, gold, crafting research, and crafting inspiration. Plus you get 1500 Crowns per month of subscription (paid in advance) that you can spend in the Crown Store – that’s enough for 150 level-scaling health potions. Finally, you get access to all DLC game packs for the length of your membership at no extra charge. 7. This Isn’t Even Its Final Form As big as ESOTU is, it’s only going to get bigger. Like we noted above, the game has already expanded in the year-and-change since it first hit PC, and that expansion won’t be stopping anytime soon. Just as an example: “We announced the new zones of Orsinium and Imperial City last year,†Lambert says, “and are getting close to finishing them up.†(Orsinium will be a new zone to explore set in the ancestral homeland of the Orcs, whereas the Imperial City will add new gameplay, including PvP areas.) And even this is only the beginning. “After that, we have plans for more content and new systems,†Lambert says. “We want to support and continually update ESO for years to come.†– By Joe Rybicki Prepare for Your Voyage with the Explorer’s Pack Tamriel is a huge place, packed with people to meet, places to go – and enemies to slay. Why not get a headstart with the Explorer’s Pack, a special bonus for anyone who pre-orders the game. With the Explorer’s Pack you get the following: All races playable in any alliance.>Maybe you fancy being an Orc but want to fight alongside the Ebonheart Pact. Or perhaps you want your Nord to join up with the Aldmeri Dominion. In ESOTU, each faction is composed of three unique races. With the Explorer’s pack, you can pick any of the nine total races and align with any of the three factions, giving you even greater freedom to play the game however you like!A precious pet. Fondly known as Warty, the Scuttler is a vanity pet you can only get through the Explorer’s Pack. Be the envy of your friends when you show up with this scaly rapscallion scampering around your heels! (Don’t worry, you can change Warty’s name.) Treasure maps. Everyone likes loot. Get a leg up with a collection of maps that’ll lead you to hidden chests stuffed with treasure. For more info about purchasing the game – including links to retailers – head to: www.elderscrollsonline.com View Original Article

With just two weeks to go until The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited hits consoles, you can now make your digital pre-order for both Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Xbox One – Pre-Order the Regular Edition / Pre-Order the Digital Collector’s EditionPlayStation 4 — Pre-Order the Regular Edition / Pre-Order the Digital Collector’s EditionPrepare for Your Voyage with the Explorer’s Pack Tamriel is a huge place, packed with people to meet, places to go – and enemies to slay. Why not get a headstart with the Explorer’s Pack, a special bonus for anyone who pre-orders the game. With the Explorer’s Pack you get the following: All races playable in any alliance. Maybe you fancy being an Orc but want to fight alongside the Ebonheart Pact. Or perhaps you want your Nord to join up with the Aldmeri Dominion. In ESOTU, each faction is composed of three unique races. With the Explorer’s pack, you can pick any of the nine total races and align with any of the three factions, giving you even greater freedom to play the game however you like!A precious pet. Fondly known as Warty, the Scuttler is a vanity pet you can only get through the Explorer’s Pack. Be the envy of your friends when you show up with this scaly rapscallion scampering around your heels! (Don’t worry, you can change Warty’s name.)Treasure maps. Everyone likes loot. Get a leg up with a collection of maps that’ll lead you to hidden chests stuffed with treasure.Between now and June 9th, stay tuned for new updates on Tamriel Unlimited here on the blog, at ElderScrollsOnline.com, and through the game’s official social media accounts. View Original Article

Your shrine* to all things Elder Scrolls is about level up. Beginning today on GamingHeads.com and on store.bethsoft.com, you can pre-order this life-sized bust of Dovahkiin. Created by 3D artist Diego D. Gonzalez, the piece will ship in 2016 and is limited to 600 pieces. *Temple of the Divines not included View Original Article

Whether you’re taking on a dungeon or swapping adventure stories in a tavern, life in Tamriel is always more fun with friends. Watch our latest This is The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited video for a taste of what awaits when you explore Tamriel with allies.In the second installment of our This is The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited video series, we explore the variety of activities you can enjoy with friends in ESOTU. From the Alliance War in Cyrodiil to Trials and dungeons to World Bosses and beyond, fun and adventure are always right around the corner when you team up with allies. Watch the video to learn more! View Original Article

Nice work by the creative folks at ZeniMax Online Studios for pulling together this screenshot within ESO: Tamriel Unlimited! View Original Article

Update: After discussion with Valve, and listening to our community, paid mods are being removed from Steam Workshop. Even though we had the best intentions, the feedback has been clear – this is not a feature you want. Your support means everything to us, and we hear you. Original Post: We believe mod developers are just that: developers. We love that Valve has given new choice to the community in how they reward them, and want to pass that choice along to our players. We are listening and will make changes as necessary. We have a long history with modding, dating back to 2002 with The Elder Scrolls Construction Set. It’s our belief that our games become something much more with the promise of making it your own. Even if you never try a mod, the idea you could do anything is at the core of our game experiences. Over the years we have met much resistance to the time and attention we put into making our games heavily moddable. The time and costs involved, plus the legal hurdles, haven’t made it easy. Modding is one of the reasons Oblivion was re-rated from T to M, costing us millions of dollars. While others in the industry went away from it, we pushed more toward it. We are always looking for new ways to expand modding. Our friends at Valve share many of the same beliefs in mods and created the Steam Workshop with us in 2012 for Skyrim, making it easier than ever to search and download mods. Along with Skyrim Nexus and other sites, our players have many great ways to get mods. Despite all that, it’s still too small in our eyes. Only 8% of the Skyrim audience has ever used a mod. Less than 1% has ever made one. In our early discussions regarding Workshop with Valve, they presented data showing the effect paid user content has had on their games, their players, and their modders. All of it hugely positive. They showed, quite clearly, that allowing content creators to make money increased the quality and choice that players had. They asked if we would consider doing the same. This was in 2012 and we had many questions, but only one demand. It had to be open, not curated like the current models. At every step along the way with mods, we have had many opportunities to step in and control things, and decided not to. We wanted to let our players decide what is good, bad, right, and wrong. We will not pass judgment on what they do. We’re even careful about highlighting a modder on this blog for that very reason. Three years later and Valve has finally solved the technical and legal hurdles to make such a thing possible, and they should be celebrated for it. It wasn’t easy. They are not forcing us, or any other game, to do it. They are opening a powerful new choice for everyone. We believe most mods should be free. But we also believe our community wants to reward the very best creators, and that they deserve to be rewarded. We believe the best should be paid for their work and treated like the game developers they are. But again, we don’t think it’s right for us to decide who those creators are or what they create. We also don’t think we should tell the developer what to charge. That is their decision, and it’s up to the players to decide if that is a good value. We’ve been down similar paths with our own work, and much of this gives us déjà vu from when we made the first DLC: Horse Armor. Horse Armor gave us a start into something new, and it led to us giving better and better value to our players with DLC like Shivering Isles, Point Lookout, Dragonborn and more. We hope modders will do the same. Opening up a market like this is full of problems. They are all the same problems every software developer faces (support, theft, etc.), and the solutions are the same. Valve has done a great job addressing those, but there will be new ones, and we’re confident those will get solved over time also. If the system shows that it needs curation, we’ll consider it, but we believe that should be a last resort. There are certainly other ways of supporting modders, through donations and other options. We are in favor of all of them. One doesn’t replace another, and we want the choice to be the community’s. Yet, in just one day, a popular mod developer made more on the Skyrim paid workshop than he made in all the years he asked for donations. Revenue Sharing Many have questioned the split of the revenue, and we agree this is where it gets debatable. We’re not suggesting it’s perfect, but we can tell you how it was arrived at. First Valve gets 30%. This is standard across all digital distributions services and we think Valve deserves this. No debate for us there. The remaining is split 25% to the modder and 45% to us. We ultimately decide this percentage, not Valve. Is this the right split? There are valid arguments for it being more, less, or the same. It is the current industry standard, having been successful in both paid and free games. After much consultation and research with Valve, we decided it’s the best place to start. This is not some money grabbing scheme by us. Even this weekend, when Skyrim was free for all, mod sales represented less than 1% of our Steam revenue. The percentage conversation is about assigning value in a business relationship. How do we value an open IP license? The active player base and built in audience? The extra years making the game open and developing tools? The original game that gets modded? Even now, at 25% and early sales data, we’re looking at some modders making more money than the studio members whose content is being edited. We also look outside at how open IP licenses work, with things like Amazon’s Kindle Worlds, where you can publish fan fiction and get about 15-25%, but that’s only an IP license, no content or tools. The 25% cut has been operating on Steam successfully for years, and it’s currently our best data point. More games are coming to Paid Mods on Steam soon, and many will be at 25%, and many won’t. We’ll figure out over time what feels right for us and our community. If it needs to change, we’ll change it. The Larger Issue of the Gaming Community and Modding This is where we are listening, and concerned, the most. Despite seeming to sit outside the community, we are part of it. It is who we are. We don’t come to work, leave and then ‘turn off’. We completely understand the potential long-term implications allowing paid mods could mean. We think most of them are good. Some of them are not good. Some of them could hurt what we have spent so long building. We have just as much invested in it as our players. Some are concerned that this whole thing is leading to a world where mods are tied to one system, DRM’d and not allowed to be freely accessed. That is the exact opposite of what we stand for. Not only do we want more mods, easier to access, we’re anti-DRM as far as we can be. Most people don’t know, but our very own Skyrim DLC has zero DRM. We shipped Oblivion with no DRM because we didn’t like how it affected the game. There are things we can control, and things we can’t. Our belief still stands that our community knows best, and they will decide how modding should work. We think it’s important to offer choice where there hasn’t been before. We will do whatever we need to do to keep our community and our games as healthy as possible. We hope you will do the same. Bethesda Game Studios View Original Article

To coincide with the newly announced updates to the Skyrim Workshop, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is going to be more accessible than ever. Freely accessible! If you don’t already own Skyrim, between now(4/23/15 @ 1pm EST) and Monday at 1pm EST, you’ll be able to download and play the base version of Skyrim as much as you want for free. You can even download free mods from the Workshop to enhance your experience. On top of being able to play for free, this weekend we’ve got some pretty big savings on all content for Skyrim. Deals include: Skyrim Legendary Edition – 66% off/$39.99 or $13.60Skyrim Main Game 75% off/$19.99 or $5Dawnguard 62.5% off/$19.99 or $7.50Dragonborn 62.5% off/$19.99 or $7.50Hearthfire 50% off/$4.99 or $2.50Note: To be able to access paid mods, you will need to own a copy of Skyrim. View Original Article

We’ve had a long and excellent relationship with our good friends at Valve. We worked together to make the Workshop a huge part of Skyrim, and we’re excited that something we’ve been working together on for a long time is finally happening. You can now charge for the mods you create. Unlike other curated games on Steam that allow users to sell their creations, this will be the first game with an open market. It will not be curated by us or Valve. It was essential to us that our fans decide what they want to create, what they want to download, and what they want to charge. Many of our fans have been modding our games since Morrowind, for over 10 years. They now have the opportunity to earn money doing what they love – and all fans have a new way to support their favorite mod authors. We’ve also updated Skyrim and the Creation Kit with new features to help support paid mods including the ability to upload master files, adding more categories and removing filesize limit restrictions. What does this mean for you? As a modder, you now have the option of listing your creations at a price determined by you. Or, you can continue to share your projects for free. For those shopping for new mods, Valve is making sure you can try any mod risk free. For full details on these changes to the Skyrim Workshop, check out Steam’s announcement page and FAQ. Modding has been important to all our games for such a long time. We try to create worlds that come alive and you can make your own, but it’s in modding where it truly does. Thanks again for all your incredible support over the years. We hope steps like this breathe new life into Skyrim for everyone. Bethesda Game Studios View Original Article

Been away from Tamriel for awhile? Now’s a great time to jump back into the action of The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited. Beginning today at 10:00 AM EDT and running through Monday, April 20th at 10:00 AM EDT, we’re hosting a “Welcome Back Weekend” for beta participants that haven’t yet purchased ESO. The free weekend includes all the major updates to the game introduced before and with the launch of Tamriel Unlimited, including no longer requiring a monthly subscription. What else is new in the ESO community? Check out highlights below… Learn how your fan art could score you a Wacom Intuos Medium Tablet or and plenty of other amazing ESO prizes in the Collectible Creatures Fan Art Contest. Full details here.The ESO team has archived their 15th episode of ESO Live. Follow the channel on Twitch and catch up on all the on YouTube.Having recently celebrated the game’s first year, members of ZeniMax Online Studios have reflected on their favorite memories of Year One. Devs include Game Director Matt Firor, Creative Director Paul Sage, and Art Director Jared Carr.Not on PC/Mac? We’ll be sharing more details on the Xbox One/PlayStation 4 release — coming June 9th — in the near future. View Original Article

Hard to believe how fast times goes by, but today marks the first birthday for The Elder Scrolls Online! The game has seen many improvements through regular updates and the introduction of Tamriel Unlimited, but one thing hasn’t changed: the amazing support from the game’s community. A shining example comes on the game’s first birthday — a put together by community member Elloa.To the entire ZOS team and ESO fanbase, congrats on an amazing first year! View Original Article

Courtesy of our friends & colleagues in our Sydney office, we wanted to share this of Australian comedy trio Tripod. Watch as they burst into song to describe their Skyrim characters.Their character experiences are very different, to say the least. Enjoy! View Original Article

Yar really going to like our newest modding interview. This week we talk to BigBizkit, responsible for the popular Pirates of Skyrim mod. What you do for a living? Pirating. What pirate fiction would you say most influenced your project? Well, it is not so much fiction per se but I really like to think of the golden age of exploration as a source of inspiration. The times when people would set sail not just to get to places, but to actually go out and look for places and routes that have not been discovered yet (by Europeans). The times when seafaring nations like the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain used to be world powers because of their naval prowess. Other than that, there is also this series of blockbuster movies… there are currently four and a fifth one is in the making. I will not say anything about the quality of the movies, but they surely did have an impact on how pirates are viewed. As for games, a great source of inspiration is and has always been the eternal classic “Monkey Island” especially the first and second part. Oh, and there is also this fairly recent game with “black flag” in the title… you’ve probably never heard of it. What features in the project are you most proud of? When I created “Pirates of Skyrim”, I wanted it to be its own “system” so to speak. I could have made it into a quest mod where you would set sail, pillage some ships, return and mission accomplished, but instead I went for a radiant system where the player would have a reason to set sail to the sea of ghosts repeatedly, where you would want to pillage ships over and over. That is why the naval battles are randomly assigned and the loot is different every time, and so are the things you may or may not find on the ocean floor. In my opinion, the randomness of the battles, the loot, the ocean, etc. — in combination with the achievements you can unlock by collecting treasure that you may or may not find, contributes to the mods longevity and constitutes the best feature – and that is what I am most proud of. Do you plan to continue supporting the project? And if so, what can you share from your current plan? Sure. I have pretty much already shared my future plans in the forum tab at the mod’s file page. There are two main features on my list that I want to implement: A Pirate Port — I envision a safe haven for pirates on a small island. It would be rundown at first and only a few NPCs would hang around there initially. But as the player continues to bring in loot from his/her pillages market stands and decoration would be unlocked and more and more NPCs would appear there showing the place flourishing. A Privateering System — You would be able to obtain a “letter of marque” from either the Imperial Legion or the Stormcloaks. This would give you permission to hunt down ships of the opposing faction. The player would need to set sail to the sea of ghosts, dispose of a crew of the opposing faction, and then return with proof of the deed (e.g. a banner) to Solitude/Windhelm to receive a reward. Doing so would earn the player a positive reputation with his/her faction, and a negative one with the opposing one. This would obviously come with some consequences like being blocked from ports, attacks from opposing privateers etc. In your opinion, of all the races in The Elder Scrolls, which ones make the best pirates? The worst? Best: I would say, lore-wise, it would have to be Redguards. Judging solely based on “style” I would say all the human races would be doing fine as pirates. The two pirate characters I play are both Bretons. Dunmer/Dark Elves also make for some good scurvy ridden, swashbuckling scum. Worst: I like Khajiits alot and I know they are not identical to cats, but still, I find it hard to imagine that they would feel very comfortable at sea. There might be the odd cat though that would do well as a pirate. I also do not think Altmer/High Elves would make good pirates. They are often times portrayed as rather uptight, snooty, “high class” and such so it is hard to imagine them as sailing rapscallions. I envision them more as victims of piracy, for example if there ever was to be an Elder Scrolls game taking place on or around the Summerset Isles (wink wink nudge nudge)… Outside of what you’re working on, what mods/mod authors are among your favorites? That is a tough question for somebody like me who is well beyond the 255 mods limit. Anyways, one of my favourite mods is Throwing Weapons Redux by Madrilous. It adds something to the game that was clearly missing and some of my characters’ builds depend on it as they make avid use of poison grenades and other explosives. I have heavily edited my private version of Madrilous’ mod but without him laying the groundwork many of my characters would be using “sword and board” rather than grenades and throwing knives. Bob’s Armory created by Mr. Dave offers a great variety of weapons and hats – some of them are featured in my mod as well.Another great addition is Automatic Crossbows by J3X. Jaxonz is a modder who has created some essentials and who clearly knows what he’s doing. If you are in need of a good house mod, you cannot go wrong with one of Elianora’s mods. Last but not least, Matthiaswagg – one of the most helpful and capable people at the Skyrim Nexus Forums – and a skilled team of other modders are working on a massive mod called “Immersive Quests”. I cannot wait for its release as it is bound to be great. Do I get (or am I forced) to walk the plank? Don’t worry, you are just going to be fired out of a cannon. But you get to wear a bucket on your head – for safety reasons In writing dialogue for the mod, did you find yourself increasingly using the letter “Râ€? Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. No. View Original Article

With this week’s release of Tamriel Unlimited on PC/Mac, here’s a quick reminder of some desk-side companions for your journeys. Up first, we have an all-new plush Bull Netch. We know, it’s not made from 100% Netch leather, but we thought the adjustable tentacles would make up for it. Additionally, we wanted to provide a reminder of upcoming you’ll want to check out during gameplay breaks. You can pre-purchase both The Elder Scrolls Online: Tales of Tamriel, Vol. 1 – The Land and The Skyrim Library, Vol. 1: The Histories – arriving in April and June, respectively. View Original Article