ZeniMax Online Studios, the team in charge of The Elder Scrolls Online, seems to be working on a triple-A title set in a completely new intellectual property. Though the launch of The Elder Scrolls Online was met with its fair share of problems and controversies, ever since the launch of One Tamriel, the game has enjoyed a steady stream of new players and quality content.
The Elder Scrolls Online had recently launched its sixth expansion pack, High Isle – focusing on the Bretons in a previously unexplored part of Tamriel. With each year providing players a Chapter, a DLC zone, and two dungeon updates, it's beyond apparent that The Elder Scrolls Online shows no signs of slowing down. It is a well-oiled machine that ZeniMax, and by extension Microsoft, will continue to invest in.
Taking these factors into consideration, it makes sense that the studio that saw The Elder Scrolls Online flourish in a market dominated by giants, such as Final Fantasy 14 and World of Warcraft, would be given a new project to tackle. The job posting on ZeniMax implies that this new title is going to be third person, and will feature RPG elements such as progression and leveling.
It may be difficult, if not outright impossible, to dance around the implications that a next-gen MMORPG might be coming from ZeniMax Online Studios. Advances in technology and hardware, as well as the emergence of groundbreaking game engines such as Unreal Engine 5, may be setting the stage for a renaissance period in a genre that had become stale in the eyes of the average player.
Though MMOs such as Final Fantasy 14 are overhauling their graphics to stall the passage of time, The Elder Scrolls Online has perhaps aged better than most, evoking a style that is quintessentially Elder Scrolls but still relies more on esthetics rather than fidelity. Players likely won't see a modernization of The Elder Scrolls Online in the near future, but the developers potentially getting an opportunity to build a modern MMORPG (or even a single-player game) is a tantalizing thought.
While a multiplayer aspect for this project is still unconfirmed, it would make a great deal of sense to focus on a studio's strengths. ZeniMax Online Studios accomplished blending a true Elder Scrolls experience with MMO gameplay, boasting some of the best encounter design in the genre and a vibrant open world. Whatever form this new game may take in the years to come, it seems to be in good hands.