Elder Scrolls Online’s Next Story Arc Will Return To Political Intrigue And Faction Infighting
As 2021 comes to a close, Elder Scrolls Online Game Director Matt Firor looks back at a very successful but difficult year for ZeniMax Online Studios and talks about their plans for 2022 in his annual retrospective Director’s Letter.
“As the pandemic grinds on, we are doing everything we can to keep ESO on the rails, give you new content, and keep all of us safe and healthy. But this has not been easy. Most of us have families, and for obvious reasons we have prioritized the health and safety of our families and ourselves above everything else. The constant stress and anxiety caused by the realities of life during 2021 have taken a noticeable toll on us all.”
In spite of the challenges posed by the pandemic, the team was still able to release regular updates and add new features while also taking players on an epic journey to the Daedric plane where they faced off against the Daedric Prince Mehrunes Dagon and his minions as part of the Gates of Oblivion story arc.
With last month’s Deadlands DLC marking the end of Gates of Oblivion, ZeniMax is now looking towards ESO’s next year-long narrative. For 2022, Firor says that they’ll be moving away from the end of days theme and will be returning to the more traditional tales of political intrigue and infighting among Tamriel’s many factions. He also teased that next year’s storyline will revolve around a race that has not had their moment in the spotlight. Details on that will be revealed during the studio’s January reveal show.
Aside from a new story arc, the team is also working on refreshing their data centers although the global shortage of computer chips and hardware has caused significant delays in the process. “To give you all an idea of the impact, some key hardware devices are delayed by one year, most are delayed by 3-5 months,” said Firor. “We had intended to have this process complete this year, but it has taken us far longer than we thought it would. This is as frustrating for us as it is for you, trust me – but progress is being made and we will get there.”
Meanwhile, players can look forward to the return of the New Life Festival on December 16th to January 4th. Bonus XP and various rewards await players who successfully complete special daily quests from New Life Herald Breda in Windhelm during the event, including the new Nord Carved Armor Style Page and Powderwhite Coney pet.
