Elder Scrolls Online Will Soon Let You Mix And Match Class Abilities

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In 2025, The Elder Scrolls Online plans to conduct various experiments, such as introducing a novel seasonal content system, a massive server-wide event unprecedented in its gaming past, and the exciting feature of combining skills from distinct classes to craft an entirely unique playstyle.

This year, ZeniMax Online Studios announced their plans for Elder Scrolls Online in 2025 during ESO Direct. Similar to his end-of-year blog post from December, studio director Matt Firor shared that unlike previous years since the Morrowind chapter in 2017, there will be no new expansion released in 2025. Instead, they are transitioning to a seasonal content model. This approach gives them greater flexibility when it comes to introducing new content and addressing the game’s needs more effectively.

We plan to continue creating engaging stories while also introducing fresh concepts and gameplay mechanics. However, we’ll do so at a pace that gives us, the creators, room to explore more diverse aspects and introduce greater variation,” Firor explained.

Seasons Of The Worm Cult

ESO’s game director Rich Lambert and executive producer Susan Kath went on to discuss what fans can expect in lieu of a new chapter. Starting from the upcoming season, it will be titled “Seasons of the Worm Cult,” serving as a sequel that takes place a decade after the original Molag Bal storyline, set to debut in June. This season will introduce a fresh location, the isle of Solstice, where players will delve into the return of the Worm Cult led by Molag Bal and encounter characters from the game’s initial main quest throughout their journey. The island is inhabited by outcast elves and Argonians, featuring picturesque beaches and lush tropical forests for adventurers to traverse.

While Seasons of the Worm Cult typically span much of the year, Kath emphasized that future seasons might not adhere to this pattern. Instead, upcoming seasons could be significantly shorter, varying from three to six months in length. These shorter seasons may consist of “remix” phases where ZeniMax Online revisits previous narratives, with a hint at a Dark Brotherhood-themed season being possible.

Instead, players can opt for a $50 Content Pass that offers access to all the seasonal updates throughout the year, including fresh dungeons. This pass is distinct from the current ESO Plus subscription. However, the new dungeons from Season of the Worm Cult are already part of the ESO Plus package. During a post-ESO Direct press Q&A, Kath mentioned that the team is considering ways to enhance and motivate ESO Plus, but no specifics were announced.

Subclasses

The most significant revelation in ESO is that subclassing will be accessible for all players starting June. This means that regardless of the class a player initially chose, they can now explore abilities from up to two skill lines of other classes, resulting in over 3,000 unique skill line combinations to experiment with.

In summary, during the ESO Direct and subsequent Q&A, it was confirmed that players must maintain at least one skill line from their initial class. Although a character can learn all secondary skill lines not associated with their main class, they can only actively utilize abilities from two additional class skill lines simultaneously. This feature becomes available when a character reaches the game’s maximum level of 50, and unlocking subclass skill lines will be account-wide across all characters. Some class skill lines will require double the number of skill points, but according to Lambert, this shouldn’t pose a problem for dedicated players.

New Experiments

Apart from inheriting characteristics from other classes, ZeniMax Online is also exploring different approaches. The forthcoming Solstice zone will feature a colossal magical barricade, known as the Writhing Wall, which will divide the area in two. In the upcoming summer, players will engage in a server-wide event that will mark a first for ESO. Each server’s inhabitants must collaborate to amass resources, protect the island from the Worm Cult, and eventually break through the wall. This action will grant access to the second half of the zone. The description hints at a similarity with World of Warcraft’s classic Gates of Ahn’Qiraj event, where players united for a war effort to unlock the gates and gain entry to two new raids. According to Lambert, breaking through the wall will be a one-time occurrence per server, but there will also be opportunities for those who miss out to participate in most of the event.

According to Lambert, our objective is to join forces with other players and break down the western wall. This action grants us access to the eastern half of Solstice. The pace at which we progress through the stages depends greatly on the combined efforts and activities of everyone on this mega-server. Consequently, different groups of players may encounter and conclude the event’s epic finale and results at varying times.

One significant trial undertaken by ZeniMax Online is the recent Cyrodiil Champions test, briefly discussed during ESO Direct. This is their response to ongoing performance issues in the game’s large-scale PvP mode, a point specifically highlighted by Firor as requiring attention in his end-of-year blog post. From March 24th to 31st, the test simplified abilities and stats for all players in Cyrodiil with the aim of enhancing performance. According to Firor, the test was a resounding success, outperforming its goal of supporting the number of players in Cyrodiil as seen shortly after the game’s launch in 2014.

“It couldn’t have gone much better,” Firor said. “It was beyond-our-wildest-dreams successful.”

According to Lambert, the upcoming action involves delving into the vast amounts of data gathered from the test. Subsequently, the team plans to introduce further adjustments such as extra skill lines and stats, followed by additional testing sessions. This gradual process aims to transform Cyrodiil Champions into a fully-fledged feature.

ZeniMax Online is focusing on enhancing the gaming experience for both newcomers and returning players. As highlighted in ESO Direct, modifications have been implemented in the game’s tutorial and starting zones, with further improvements planned for the summer launch of a “Welcome Back” system. During the Q&A, Kath did not reveal specific details about this system but mentioned it would not be a generic solution and would instead offer a “quest-driven, rewarding experience.

Last year marked ESO’s 10-year milestone, and Firor announced that the game will undergo further development in the coming years. This update will introduce a new format, enabling the team to focus on improving aspects of the game that were previously neglected due to their busy annual chapter schedule.

Firor explained, “There simply wasn’t enough time for us to handle all the small tasks. This flexibility in our timeline allows us not only to progress with content creation but also to incorporate numerous exciting smaller features.

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2025-04-10 23:11