Studio Director’s Message Key Points

Ragnarok0130

Alinhbo_Tyaka wrote: »

After reading the letter I get the feeling we will see the Fallout 76'ization of ESO. This is something that would be the last nail in the coffin as far as my having anything to do with the game. The letter also gives me the impression that the team is at the end of its creative line and will be doing the minimum to keep the cash flowing rather than continue with the comprehensive story lines you'd expect from an Elder Scrolls game.

I play Fallout 76 occasionally. The whole season thing is a mechanism to get players on a treadmill without a lot of effort in actual content development. I can see the Golden Pursuits and Endeavors becoming the equivalent of FO76's daily/weekly challenges that reward points for unlocking the seasonal rewards and obtaining currency to purchase the unlocked rewards. The season is also monetized such that many of the best rewards are locked behind the monthly Fallout 1st sub. While not truly pay to win it sure pushes the limits of what's not P2W. It is a model I would never have expected from an MMO that is suppose to be top tier player. I guess we will find out in April just how far ZOS has gone.

I agree. I'm a BETA FO76 player and got so sick of the seasonal treadmill after the first few seasons that I stopped playing and I really liked FO76. The last thing I want in ESO as an ESO BETA player is the same kind of nonsense I experienced in FO76. This 100% feels like going into maintenance mode while trying to squeeze every last cent from the player base on the way out.

Jaraal

Vonnegut2506 wrote: »

If you thought they couldn't monetize things more, just wait until you see the new seasonal model.

"For only a dollar a day, you too can now be drip fed new, experimental content! Yes, subscribe to the new ESO++ model, and we'll only deduct one dollar from your account on a daily basis. Cancel at any time by filing a ticket with our new and improved customer service, and they will get back to you as soon as they can. Act now and receive one free day of PTS time for every 10 days of Live server purchase! And our most loyal customers may receive a plushie of one of our newest upcoming Daedric princes! Stay tuned for more upcoming announcements about upcoming announcements! Also we are excited to announce a special prize package for our 50,000,000th player! It could be you! So keep checking back for more potential clues!

OnnuK

I do not agree to this:
"We have been able to keep up with the times, make hard decisions and big changes when it was time to make them. Looking back on all the changes that have gotten us here, it is pretty clear that we have generally made the right decisions at the right times for our game"
Almost all the recent changes seem to alienate ESO's hardcore players in both PvE and PvP.

I’ve practically stopped playing—only logging in for Endeavors—because I’ve lost my motivation. I’ve already collected all the necessary gear, completed all the dungeons and trials to a reasonable extent, and, to make matters worse, my trial group has left the game. While a battle pass might offer some motivation, the question remains: motivation for what, exactly?

PvP was supposed to be my endgame after finishing all the PvE content, but as we all know, real PvP has been abandoned since 2017.

agelonestar

There are some interesting - and some slightly worrying - points in Matt's message.

I'm intrigued by the thought that the base game zones could be improved and updated - that's long overdue, if that's what is going to happen. Cyrodiil is looooooong overdue some attention. These things could be really positive for the game.

As a GM, I see all too clearly how hard it is for some players to get started or return to the game, so putting some effort into an improved glide path is a great idea.

I guess my biggest request for ZoS is that they don't overlook players who, for whatever reason, spend most of their time playing solo (like me). I don't want "hard" overland content - I want to be able to opt into harder stuff when it suits me and I know I'm not alone in that. I don't want to be forced into a group all the time, either. I come to Tamriel to escape reality and I'll admit there are days I don't want to be sociable.

The mantra for Elder Scrolls Online has long been "play your way". I hope that's still possible throughout 2025 and beyond.