The Elder Scrolls Online has released its massive 2026 roadmap, which ditches the yearly expansion formula to pull into the base game, but at the cost of a battle pass.
Last year, The Elder Scrolls Online director Rich Lambert said the team was exploring the possibility of ditching expansions in favor of smaller updates, and now the team has done just that. The Elder Scrolls Online Twitter account (via RockPaperShotgun) announced Season 0 of the game will kick off this year, with a roadmap laying out what 2026 has in store.
One of #ESO's goals is to be more transparent and collaborative with the community, including sharing upcoming content plans earlier and often. Some plans may not be 100% set in stone or continue to evolve as we iterate with all of you.January 7, 2026
The updates include the likes of class refreshes "to modernize abilities," PvP updates, and a bunch of new trials, dungeons, and quests. However, hidden in the roadmap image is the announcement of a Battle Pass system being added to the game with Tamriel Tomes – the contents of which are currently unconfirmed.
The team is planning on releasing three seasons across 2026, with older DLC content like Greymoor, Dark Brotherhood, Thieves Guild, and Imperial City being added to the base game for players alongside the new content.
The team adds, "This focus on base game, transparency, and listening to your feedback is not just a temporary goal, it's the foundation of our new approach and the key to ESO's future. By building this next decade of ESO with you, we can make it the best one yet."
These do seem like good updates, but of course, you have to have an air of scepticism given that ZeniMax Online is under Microsoft. Project Blackbird: the studio's unannounced Destiny-style MMO shooter was reportedly canceled out of the blue back in July as a part of Microsoft's layoffs. Given that Phil Spencer himself apparently loved the project before it was killed, I can't say I'm too hopeful about how Microsoft views Elder Scrolls Online's performance.
It could literally be as innocuous as the developers sincerely wanting to ditch the expansion formula, but given the last few years of Microsoft layoffs, it reads to me as developers trying to salvage what they can of the game with a new monetization angle.
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