The Elder Scrolls Online 2025 – Byte Size Review (XSX)

Thanks to The Elder Scrolls Online I have been gallivanting across Tamriel for ten years. At times it has been a real slog but it has always been a rewarding and enticing slog. 2025 sees ZeniMax move away from the annual release of a major new area and have replaced this with seasonal model of DLC. This will see more regular updates and additions, but at the loss of major new content it would seem. I guess this would free up much of the talent to work on other titles with in the Bethesda stable while a skeleton team can churn out basic content with existing assets. The Elder Scrolls 6 anyone?

Getting Long in the Tooth or Plenty of Meat on the Bone?

Now I’m the target audience for this latest ESO announcement, so how do I feel about it? A bit disappointed to be honest. I have loved the annual drop of a significant new area to explore each year. It is what has drawn me back into the game fully. I’m not sure why I need a new area to fully re-engage as I still have some pretty big areas to complete. Maybe this is the reasoning behind the stop of new areas? Maybe the developers have assessed that players don’t need more real estate, they need more direction? Probably true actually.

Every time I fire The Elder Scrolls Online up, new update or not, I find myself with plenty to see and do. As a long time player I see plenty of meat on the bone. But can also see from a casual, or new, player it may have run it’s course.

So What’s New Khajiit?

Well, not a lot. And it is being drip fed to us over the course of the year. As a 99.9% solo player of The Elder Scrolls Online there isn’t much to get excited about exploration wise that is. What I can see the new content doing is making me return far more frequently to obtain the different rewards. As you may have worked out by now, this change in tact by ZeniMax is a pure business move. More players online more frequently as opposed to a surge of returning players once a year.

No problem from me, I’m a retailer, I get it. As long as the content doesn’t become stale and destroy what has been built up to be a phenomenal gaming experience. Solo and MMO.

Closing Comments.

With the rerelease of Oblivion potentially happening as you read this, fans of The Elder Scrolls are going to have a full plate. Lets face it. I am ready to drop another 100 hours into Oblivion. But The Elder Scrolls Online will endure. I still regularly return to Tamriel. The beauty and vastness is just fantastic. And since the Series X/S update it has become even better. In a world of brown and grey games the vivid colour palette is what does it for me. ESO still has a steep learning curve with all that has been added over the last decade but if you do manage to persevere then you are in for one hell of a ride, still!