Studio Director’s Letter: 2025

chessalavakia_ESO

I am disapointed with the direction ESO is being Taken to

I'm of the view that the Elder Scrolls Series is at it's strongest when it focuses most on story and at it's weakest when it tries to be hardcore.

In my view the letter is suggesting they are leaning towards less story and more attempts at being hardcore.

loosej

Missing option: based on this letter I have no idea which direction ESO is being Taken to.

Vonnegut2506

I am disapointed with the direction ESO is being Taken to

If you don't know which direction ESO is headed based on the last couple years, a letter won't really help much.

wilykcat

I am disapointed with the direction ESO is being Taken to

I don't really know what's going to happen in the future, but currently I have mixed feelings about the direction the game is heading.

Amottica

I am happy with the direction ESO is being Taken to

I think time will tell. In reality, it is just a bunch of words with little detail. Heck, he notes that the information will be available after Q1. What we actually get and how it is actually released is what matters.

With that, I think changing the current release design is probably a good idea.

Punches_Below_Belt

Having never successfully executed their previous plans, ZOS has decided to abolish all further planning but please continue to subscribe.

Rkindaleft

I am disapointed with the direction ESO is being Taken to

BananaBender wrote: »

I don't understand how people are drawing so wild conclusions and forming strong opinions based on ANY actual information or facts. I'm hopeful, but reserved until we actually get info on how things are going to play out.

True, but I understand people forming their own conclusions until proven otherwise because as usual when it comes to these things the post is pretty vague and is basically just a wall of text that didn’t really explain anything. We’ve seen quite a few of these retrospectives from Matt - the developers have said content this or performance and bug fixes that for years and when the updates come around a lot of things haven’t actually changed and things don't get fixed. PvPers have heard “we’ll fix Cyrodiil” for 5 years or more, I don’t know why people are convinced it’s going to happen now when it didn’t the last 20 times they said it.

DreamyLu

I'm neither happy nor disappointed. It will most probably not affect me much, if at all.

As often explained (sorry for the repeat), ESO is for me just a "side" game that I use to chill solo aside of my main. I don't touch much of the game content and therefore, based on my experience, changes rarely affect me, or very little only. Mostly, for me, outcome is neutral.

Soarora

Cautiously optimistic but prepared to be disappointed. I'm not making judgements until I see the content.

Ariordin

I'm a 'lets wonder around a new map today' kind of player. So if they aren't releasing new large zones to explore... i'm kind of heart broken

colossalvoids

I am happy with the direction ESO is being Taken to

Had enough of disappointments for the last 4 years at least, so I'm cautiously optimistic as it's the same company and the same people, but this time the difference is that they actually do something substantial it sounds like, not the last 4 years of low effort maintenance mode with shiny whistles for new players, actually tackling important issues now instead playing it safe with dull zones and writing being worse and worse with every year.
The only issues I might invision from that are not holding up to the promises and usual half baked implementation, but having zero idea for now can't speculate on that.

It's also dependant on having a clear vision for the game, that was absent with the new combat team. Would be glad if they finally did, as it all sounded like they've remembered some long forgotten playerbases and that it's an massive MMO also, not just an Elder Scrolls with friends of the same interests.

Sakiri

I am disapointed with the direction ESO is being Taken to

chessalavakia_ESO wrote: »

I'm of the view that the Elder Scrolls Series is at it's strongest when it focuses most on story and at it's weakest when it tries to be hardcore.

In my view the letter is suggesting they are leaning towards less story and more attempts at being hardcore.

And I feel an mmo with no endgame is a waste of money. Everyone has their opinions. I don't like the direction wows endgame is going and that was what made the lack of it here tolerable.

moderatelyfatman

I am disapointed with the direction ESO is being Taken to

This looks to me like a financial decision.
More newer players = Fewer sales in the latest chapter.
Unhappy long term players = Fewer ESO+ subscriptions.

I don't know the numbers but I get the impression that Necrom and Gold Road did not sell that well. The loss of the additional zone in Q4 in 2023 seems to be an additional cost-cutting measure for poor performances in High Isle, as were the reduction in new dungeons in Q3.

The question is how will ZOS make up for the loss of income?
Will we be paying for $60 Seasonal Passes that will be bundled with an ESO+ subscription and sweetened with some exclusive new skins?
The companions appearing in the Crown Store makes me wonder new trials be purchaseable for 5000 crowns?
Will new skills lines be released as a stand alone in the Crown Store?

All I know is that ZOS needs to keep their revenue coming in with a playerbase whose engagement with the game (and willingness to spend) is at an all time low.

Ariordin

It may also be worth considering that TES VI is supposedly in production now. So maybe if its releasing in the nest five years
the ESO team has to prepare their game to:
A) Not be a competitor to TES VI. -So produce less TES like content. Microsoft would not want ESO to distract from their new shiny game.
Prepare the game to withstand the player base drop as we all go buy that game. -More generic MMO like content.
C) Still make enough money to keep their jobs

And maybe if the franchise is still serious...

D) Secretly retcon anything needed for TES VI into ESO. -Which would explain why they finally are taking a look at base game content.

dinokstrunz

I am happy with the direction ESO is being Taken to

RomanRex wrote: »

1. Less new content.
2. More recycled old content which is somehow refreshed.
3. New monetization and FOMO strategies (rather than enjoyable, attractive gameplay) to extract money from the players who will tolerate repetitive tasks.
4. Promised QoL and bug fixes that have never previously been fulfilled, so don’t get excited.
5. No acknowledgement that 2024 has been one of the worst years ever from a server/connection standpoint.
6. Still no explanation why they cancelled the US 10 year celebration after paying all their staff to travel to Europe for a celebration most of us could never afford. Still makes zero sense financially, from a marketing perspective or business growth. Seemed to be a last hurrah for staff more than a celebration for a players.

Nothing innovative or fun. Just the same empty promises after a horribly disappointing year.

1. We don't know that yet.
2. Probably but ZoS has been doing that for years lets be real.
3. Yeah going to need to find new ways to generate money
4. Same old ZoS then
5. Other than the data blackout they had, I really recall too much server issues, maybe the odd server lag here and there but for the most part its been pretty standard stuff as the last number of years.
6. They literally explained that in the letter "wanting to focus on the game" and they need to be fair. Too much goofing around and too many events.

James-Wayne

I am happy with the direction ESO is being Taken to

I definitely don't want Fallout 76 seasons, that model is terrible but I like the ideas presented in the article how it's executed remains to be seen.

XSTRONG

I am happy with the direction ESO is being Taken to

Eso going away from their mostly boring and predictable expansion releases with same same content every year is good!
For me the new expansion gives me content for a week or two im expecting seasons to give me more playable content but thats how I play.

We dont know much about the seasons yet but im expecting it to be good.

Moonsorrow

I am disapointed with the direction ESO is being Taken to

RomanRex wrote: »

1. Less new content.
2. More recycled old content which is somehow refreshed.
3. New monetization and FOMO strategies (rather than enjoyable, attractive gameplay) to extract money from the players who will tolerate repetitive tasks.
4. Promised QoL and bug fixes that have never previously been fulfilled, so don’t get excited.
5. No acknowledgement that 2024 has been one of the worst years ever from a server/connection standpoint.
6. Still no explanation why they cancelled the US 10 year celebration after paying all their staff to travel to Europe for a celebration most of us could never afford. Still makes zero sense financially, from a marketing perspective or business growth. Seemed to be a last hurrah for staff more than a celebration for a players.

Nothing innovative or fun. Just the same empty promises after a horribly disappointing year.

Yeah sadly the letter just reads as maintenance mode.

I will quit and move to other game. I like new content and not recycled maintenance mode, i already did play SWTOR that was like that. So no more thank you.

ApoAlaia

Neither.

I am (very) cautiously optimistic.

I think Matt made the right noises but I will withhold any 'judgement' until we are out of the 'abstracts' and start getting concrete stuff.

Just to put forward an example:

Improving the overall feel of combat with animation, FX, and potentially audio work

The concept? yeah, sounds good to me.

The execution? to this day I strongly dislike the visual changes to 'jabs' and 'flurry'.

Furthermore, the 'audio work' in the new 'banner' scribing skill is an assault on my senses.

Therefore until we have concrete examples of these concepts and for the preservation of my sanity all I can do is wait with tempered optimism and hope for the best.

mocap

I am happy with the direction ESO is being Taken to

ZOS should definitely shake up what they already have, instead of making another dozen useless sets that will include one P2W set that everyone will complain about, lol.

And you can see a lot of complaints about quality of the plot, narrative, and characters in many of the newer chapters. ZOS needs a break from this, they are burning out too fast trying to make new storylines every year.

It would also be great to add a story mode for trials. In 2026, it's quite possible to go back to chapters, dungeons, that sort of stuff....

BlueRaven

I am disapointed with the direction ESO is being Taken to

Moonsorrow wrote: »

RomanRex wrote: »

1. Less new content.
2. More recycled old content which is somehow refreshed.
3. New monetization and FOMO strategies (rather than enjoyable, attractive gameplay) to extract money from the players who will tolerate repetitive tasks.
4. Promised QoL and bug fixes that have never previously been fulfilled, so don’t get excited.
5. No acknowledgement that 2024 has been one of the worst years ever from a server/connection standpoint.
6. Still no explanation why they cancelled the US 10 year celebration after paying all their staff to travel to Europe for a celebration most of us could never afford. Still makes zero sense financially, from a marketing perspective or business growth. Seemed to be a last hurrah for staff more than a celebration for a players.

Nothing innovative or fun. Just the same empty promises after a horribly disappointing year.

Yeah sadly the letter just reads as maintenance mode.

I will quit and move to other game. I like new content and not recycled maintenance mode, i already did play SWTOR that was like that. So no more thank you.

Yeah, same, just a matter of finding that new home. The letter makes playing the game feel a bit pointless now.

There is a lot of “our budget got crushed” energy in that letter.

Ilumia

Too few details, can't tell yet.

Vrienda

I am disapointed with the direction ESO is being Taken to

It feels like the game is just being a minimum viable product while they make their shiny new MMO. Yes, the Chapter system wasn't exactly riveting but that's because they never did anything new with them gameplay wise.

Now we'll probably be stuck with just the prologue quest but with said prologue quest being it's own self-contained story rather than leading into a chapter. Meanwhile ZOS spend another 10 years 'trying to fix Cyrodiil' (Making their other MMO) while ESO bleeds out. We were promised that cutting the second dungeon DLC and the smaller story DLC would work out better in the end. It didn't. This will be much the same. I feel foolish maintaining my ESO+ sub as long as I have.

Thysbe

I am disapointed with the direction ESO is being Taken to

expecting an additonal subscription model ESO++ for the privilege to do "Premium Tier Golden Pursuits" - like do the new Thieves guild Daily 15 times - giving you extra shiny cosmetics as a reward for doing the stuff you have to unlock with ESO+

creating more direct cash income to compensate for chapter sale income

Muizer

I am happy with the direction ESO is being Taken to

So I do not know if this change of course will work out. What I do know is that there are now things on the agenda that I have wanted ZOS to address for years and years and that I know for certain never would have been as long as ZOS was throwing all their resources into churning out the chapters and the obligatory system content that comes with them. Frankly I stopped looking forward to that same old tired formula, so I don't feel I'm losing anything. To each their own I guess.

peacenote

Too early to tell. Many of the ideas have the potential to be great but also the potential to not be done well, such that less-than-stellar implementations could negatively impact how people are enjoying the game today.

Tinkerhorn

I am disapointed with the direction ESO is being Taken to

I hope ZoS puts as much effort in to the change in their direction as they can but my gut reaction is that this is perhaps signalling the beginning of the end where it's a veiled means of cutting back resources further from the game. I hope to be wrong. I think it could be very positive going forward if it is not in actuality a scaling down of development. Essentially if the game is entering a maintenance mode then it's terrible news and that's what I'm leaning towards perceiving these changes as. Hopefully with communication ZoS can ease these concerns but needing to wait potentially till April for sufficient information to judge the situation is in itself a little worrying.

VDoom1

I am disapointed with the direction ESO is being Taken to

It was a lot of vague information, not many specifics. Which was no surprise.

Trying not to be negative or cynical. I hope 2025 becomes a great year for ESO! However, this seems like a dark turn. Like entering a dark tunnel........

Perhaps a smidge dramatic. It seems like we will receive content less frequently, and the content will be old "recycled" content. Mmmhm, doesn't sound very appealing. To just be blunt, sounds like ESO in 2025 will be "fixing the game" year...

I will hope for the best! I hope I'm wrong.

Cooperharley

I am happy with the direction ESO is being Taken to

Cautiously hyped!

Any experimentation or new stuff is good in my book. Going away from the formulaic approach in recent years is good in my book. We won’t know until we see it and get our hands on it, but definitely surprised and excited

AzuraFan

Ariordin wrote: »

It may also be worth considering that TES VI is supposedly in production now. So maybe if its releasing in the nest five years
the ESO team has to prepare their game to:
A) Not be a competitor to TES VI. -So produce less TES like content. Microsoft would not want ESO to distract from their new shiny game.
Prepare the game to withstand the player base drop as we all go buy that game. -More generic MMO like content.
C) Still make enough money to keep their jobs

And maybe if the franchise is still serious...

D) Secretly retcon anything needed for TES VI into ESO. -Which would explain why they finally are taking a look at base game content.

I agree.

My speculation (100% speculation!): from this point forward, ZOS will focus more on players who like to group, who want every fight to be challenging, or who PvP, because most TES players will leave when TES VI drops. And while I'm sure there are TES players who like to group, like to PvP, and who want a mudcrab to have the potential to kill them, I'm betting that the bulk of solo and casual players are TES fans, which means there will be a devastating drop in that population cohort when TES VI releases.

So maybe ZOS is thinking that they're going to lose all those casual/solo players in a few years, so they're now pivoting to appeal to the players they're less likely to lose when TES VI releases. Those that play MMOs because they love to group. Those that want to have to use all their wits to kill a mob of mudcrabs. Those that predominantly PvP.

(My reading of the letter is that ZOS will be focusing more on challenging and group activities, and not so much on solo/casual play. Yes, they'll still be doing questing content, but not as much. More challenging overland. A new zone for people who like to group. Changes coming to PvP. Those are the big ticket items. Stuff that would enhance solo/casual play, like story mode for dungeons, isn't there.)