It's no secret that on release, The Elder Scrolls Online was critically and commercially panned. It had few features to set it apart from other MMOs, it didn't feel quite like an Elder Scrolls title, and players quickly found themselves without much to do at the end-game.
Since its release, though, The Elder Scrolls Online has gone through some major changes, to the point that it's a completely different game than it was seven years ago. The game is well worth playing now for its diverse combat systems, its story-driven progression, and the sheer amount of high-quality content available for newcomers. Here are just a few changes that have improved the experience.
Updated January 2, 2022 by Erik Petrovich: The recent Update 32 for The Elder Scrolls Online that shipped with the Deadlands DLC changed a lot of major and minor things about the MMO. There were several UI updates, including new map and compass trackers, as well as the addition of The Armory, which allows players to save multiple builds for one character. Elder Scrolls Online is in a very different place than it was years ago as it looks ahead to 2022, not behind to its lackluster launch. New features are added to ESO all the time, and it's something of a sleeper hit among MMO fans who like being on the cutting edge of what's possible in the multiplayer space.
12 The One Tamriel Overhaul
The biggest change that The Elder Scrolls Online went through post-launch was the One Tamriel update. This update removed the need for a subscription, offering both buy-once options and month-to-month premium services. It also opened up the whole world of Tamriel to player-driven exploration.
One Tamriel makes the world level around the player, and removes Alliance restrictions for questing around the world. It even changed the way some skill lines worked. It singlehandedly stemmed the game's slow death and introduced brand new ways to experience the MMO without relying on subscriptions.
11 Major UI Improvements
The Elder Scrolls Online has a lot going for it, and the clean, easy-to-understand HUD is one of those things. While the game doesn't have a minimap by default, the compass tends to get the job done just fine, though there are some major changes that have been made over the years to how players navigate and explore each zone.
For example, with the Deadlands DLC came update 32, which brought with it a number of UI updates including the ability to see nearby Skyshards on the compass and zone map. Many of these UI and HUD improvements are hardly noticeable when starting the game for the first time, but they are worthwhile additions nonetheless.
10 The Armory
The Armory is a very new feature to Elder Scrolls Online that lets players save multiple builds on the same character. This system works for just about every customization in the game, and lets players assign Perks, Skill Trees, vampirism or lycanthropy, mundus stone, and of course armor sets in different tabs that can be loaded on demand.
The Armory is accessed through a free furnishing downloadable on the Crown Store, which must be placed in a player home to be used. Once there, the option to load your current build into the Armory is available, which saves your current loadout in one of the available slots. Whenever you come back and load that build, everything you have will be replaced with what's listed on the tab.
9 The Addition Of Player Homes
Player homes were popularized in The Elder Scrolls series with the release of the Hearthfire DLC for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Plenty of MMOs have had some form of player housing. Even games like Everquest and Lord Of The Rings Online introduced the concept well before the popularization of MMOs in the 2000s.
In ESO, player homes can be bought for in-game gold or real-life money through the Crown Store. Each one is located in a different zone, making fast travel to that area free. It's also incredibly satisfying to furnish and decorate them over time.
8 PvP Now Includes Battlegrounds
In the original version of the game, player-versus-player gameplay was restricted to Cyrodil in the Alliance War. It's an open-world area where players can get ambushed at any time, which is fun for a while; however, team-based PvP is almost always more satisfying.
Instead of having just one option for PvP, ESO now has several different battlegrounds to take on too. This addition makes that part of the game a bit more diverse and prevents it from getting dull.
7 Outfit Customization
Outfits are character-specific customizations that let players show off their favorite collected armor sets, without sacrificing their equipped stats. It's just like the transmogrification system in World of Warcraft, but available only to ESO Plus subscribers.
In the original version of the game, players had to unequip their gear and re-equip their cosmetic armor sets to create a look. Now, it's a cosmetic-only change of appearance that keeps players looking fantastic while keeping their stat boosts.
6 Mounts Are Account-Wide Now
When The Elder Scrolls Online was first released, mounts had to be purchased individually and each had different stats than others. It was a pain to train each mount to be more efficient, but nowadays, that mount improvement system is much easier.
Unlocked mounts are available on any character from the get-go, but their speed and stamina is determined by the character's own Riding Skill. Rather than train each mount separately, players only have to train their own character.
5 Improved Animations And Graphics
The Elder Scrolls Online is by no means an ugly game, though it did have a few noticeable flaws on release. Over time, the game has been improved visually so much that it's about equal with modern game graphics.
The recent free update to the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S version of the game made it all the more beautiful. In its current state, ESO is raising the bar for graphical quality in MMOs.
4 Dozens Of New Areas...
When ESO first released, there were only a handful of areas throughout Tamriel that were available to players. Most of these areas had never been seen on modern systems, but the appeal of something new ran out pretty quickly when the end-game was lacking.
There are now more than 35 areas throughout Tamriel for players to visit, including familiar locations like Morrowind's Vvardenfell and Skyrim's Solitude. Because each zone changes based on the player's level, it's possible to explore these areas in any order.
3 ...And New Skill Lines, Too
The original version of The Elder Scrolls Online had a few skill lines that were a bit lackluster. Over time, these skill lines have been revamped with more interesting abilities as well as Ultimate abilities. What's more, there are a ton of new skill lines to try out, too.
The Dark Brotherhood, the Thieves Guild, the Psijic Order, Jewelry Crafting, Scrying, and others have all been added to the game over time. Each offers their own unique set of skills or craftable items, providing players with way more options as to how to spend their time in-game.
2 The Companion System
One thing sorely missing from ESO on launch was the inclusion of companions. Ever since the Adoring Fan from The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, companions have been a mainstay of the Elder Scrolls, and many players missed this feature.
With the release of the Blackwood DLC in 2021, players can now choose from an assortment of follower NPCs who have their own stories, personalities, and customizable gear and abilities. In many ways, it's a much more robust system than in other Elder Scrolls games.
1 The Warden and Necromancer Classes
On release, there were four classes in The Elder Scrolls Online: Dragonknight, Sorcerer, Nightblade, and Templar. With the release of the Morrowind DLC came the Warden, and the Necromancer came with the Elsweyr DLC.
While these new classes must be purchased for Crowns in the Crown Store, they are each totally different from the four base classes. The Necromancer, for example, has spells that incur a bounty when used in cities – necromancy is illegal, after all. The wider array of classes provides more interest to the game, as well as new roleplaying opportunities.