Much exciting news has been made of Microsoft’s acquisition of ZeniMax Media andthe companies' recent roundtable event. One enticing tidbit of information to come out of the event, amongst all the talk of exclusivity, Xbox Game Pass and and the ever-enigmaticStarfield, concernsThe Elder Scrolls Online, the multi-platform MMORPG set in the sprawling world of Tamriel.
After its somewhat rocky release back in 2014,Elder Scrolls Onlinehas managed to make something of a comeback, enjoying multiple substantial content updates over the years adding new provinces to explore and quests to complete. The appeal ofhaving the entirety of Tamriel to mess around inclearly isn’t lost on its players, especially the 3 million new users the game registered over the course of 2020.
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That new influx of players brings the total lifetime player count to an impressive 18 million, makingThe Elder Scrolls Onlinethe “number one, multi-platform online role-playing game in the world,” according to GM of Xbox Games Marketing Aaron Greenberg. ZeniMax Online Studios director Matt Firor was quick to agree, musing on the game’s journey from its stumbles at launch to the juggernaut it’s since become and adding “We’re one of the most successful, virtual-world fantasy games - period.”
Elder Scrolls Onlinewill likely continue to see new members joining its world in the coming months, now that Microsoft and Bethesda have confirmedESOwill be one of the games coming to Xbox Game Passnow that the acquisition deal is finalized. A next-gen update is also scheduled for later in the year, bringing the game to PS5 and Xbox Series consoles, which will surely only help bring in newbies eager to make their mark in the wilds of Tamriel.
In any case,Elder Scrolls Onlineappears to be going from strength to strength, and withthe recent release of theFlames of AmbitionDLC(and console players receiving it in a few days), players will have plenty to keep them excited.Flames of Ambitionis the first stage of theGates of Oblivionexpansion, in which players will face off against Mehrunes Dagon, Daedric Prince of Destruction. The expansion will see a further update,Blackwoodin June 2021, with more content coming later in the year, so it would appear theElder Scrolls Onlineteam still has plenty of tricks up their sleeve.
The Elder Scrolls Onlineis available on PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.
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