During Bethesda’s E3 Showcase tonight, The Elder Scrolls Online game director Matt Frior took to the stage to announce the next major update for the title. Dubbed One Tamriel, the expansion will open up the world of Tamriel to every player.
Previously in the world of The Elder Scrolls Online, additional worlds and locations had been locked behind level gates. With the release of One Tamriel, though, players of any level will now be able to explore every environment the title offers. This is being designed in order to open up further ways for teams of gamers to quest together.
In a message posted to the title’s official website, Frior further detailed what these changes bring to the MMORPG.
- Characters will have their level scaled the same way that we currently scale players to the level of DLC zones (Imperial City, Orsinium, Thieves Guild, and Dark Brotherhood).
- You will be able to explore the entire world in any sequence you wish – just walk across the world and you will always find appropriately leveled content.
- You will be able to play and group with anyone in the game at any time (outside of PvP). No longer will you have to create a lower level character to play with a friend who has just joined the game. You will be able to group and adventure together from the moment your friend emerges from the tutorial.
- We are dropping all PvE Alliance restrictions. You will be free to explore of all Tamriel, including other Alliances. It is up to you how you want to role-play your character while doing this. “Silver” and “gold” versions of zones will be replaced by Cadwell quest storylines that you can do in any order you wish.
- Alliance restrictions will still be enforced in all PvP areas, of course. One Tamriel will not affect the PvP systems in Cyrodiil.
- In general, higher level players will be the same “level” as lower level players, but they will have far more tools in their arsenal: better gear, more abilities, and of course more Champion points.
- We will adjust gear rewards to scale appropriately to make sure that there is always a way to get more powerful via crafting, questing, PvP, and dungeon/trial boss loot drops.
- All Trials and Dungeons will continue with standard and Veteran difficulty modes, and you will have to be Veteran level to play veteran dungeon modes.
- The Coldharbour zone will be “roped off” from players who have not yet completed the quests that lead there. However, if you are invited to a group that is already there, or travel to a friend who is there, you can immediately access the zone.
In addition to the news of One Tamriel, two new trailers for The Elder Scrolls Online were shown. The first, which can be seen above, looks back at the world of ESO since its March 2014 launch. The other, which is listed below, centers around The Dark Brotherhood expansion. Already available on Windows PC and MAC, the expansion comes to Xbox One and PlayStation 4 gamers this week.
New information on the One Tamriel update for The Elder Scrolls Online will be unveiled over the next few months, so stay tuned!