"New" player : is ESO worth it in 2025 ?

Plusscher

Last'One wrote: »

And if you think I’m lying about the quest issues, just wait until you try joining Trials through the group finder. You’ll get kicked, excluded, ignored, and more just because you’re not an Arcanist, because you use Oakensoul (which is actually one of the best items for new players), because you don’t hit 100k DPS on a dummy... etc...

Like I said, you’ll find very few good things in this game. What you’ll find instead is a lot of toxicity, gatekeeping, and anti-fun behavior, from both players and ZOS.

Yes, pugs are always a 50-50, but it's more of a 1 out of 10 being like what you described in my opinion and in my experience. "Just because you are not an Arcanist" And yes, there are a handful of people like that (literally a handful), but for example I have not once been kicked from PuGs (dungeon or trial) even tho I play offmeta, always, and I barely ever heard any of my friends being kicked either, I hear mostly about crown being frustrated and disbanding group, which happens quite often.

It boils down more so for if you do mechs or not, or do teamplay or not. I have never beamed, not beaming currently, and I'll never beam, not even slotted any arcanist skillines ever, yet I have almost full stickerbook in all trials (and yes majority of those been obtained via groupfinder trial runs)

Not going to lie, usually people who say this (don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it applies to you) are the people who expect to just be carried and do nothing (and they do say it quite a lot, in game, on forums etc). That's why usually Oakensoul is associated with meh players because they don't communicate, don't do teamplay, don't do anything. If you give them advice, they act like you just insulted them, and they never even bother trying to be better for the team, but expect to be invited to every run ever regardless. That being said, on the contrary to all that, a friend of mine who has been oakensorc since forever does so well in dungeons, trials, etc people seek her out to play with her. (I have never seen her parse on dummy and I and others don't care how much she would hit, she is just a good player who does good team play) It's not the mythic, it's the person 99,9% of the time.

And agreed 100% with frogthroat, join a guild if you want smooth runs (it's an mmorpg after all). The people usually don't care if you do 10k dps or 50k or 140k etc, all they care about is if you are a team player. I myself a leader and a raidleader of a casual friendly trialing guild, and there are literally no requirements for veteran training or farm runs ever other than "be a teamplayer" and "listen to callouts". And on that note believe you me I would rather kick a 170k parse arcanist who doesn't do any mechs, ignores callouts and just parses than a person who does 40k dps but is a proper teamplayer, does mechs, resses, listens to callouts, etc. Or if you are really really really against joining a guild for some reason, make a few friends who run trials and team up with them and be the host of the PuG. If you want to join trial runs and you play on PCEU send me a mail or whisper me (same name ingame as here) and we can help you run whatever you want to run.

TLDR: yes, pugs can be full of bad beans sometimes, but there are other means of doing trials, and they are not some impossible thing to do (like joining a guild for example).

Last'One wrote: »

Yes, even ZOS doesn’t let you truly enjoy the Necromancer class, the same class they sell to you. You have to pay for the Necromancer, and then you’re forced to sneak around guards just for using some of its skills because they’re considered "criminal acts."
Meanwhile, being a Vampire or Werewolf anywhere in the game is totally fine.

You mean casting skills? That are criminal acts? Yes, those apply to werewolves and vampires just as much as it applies to necromancers. Just by existing as a necromancer you don't gain any bounty lol. Dare I say I would know this, because I've been playing exclusively necromancer since I joined the game (Just to make sure yes, I did just test it as I'm writing this post, if you use any skill that has the little "criminal act" tag on it you will gain a bounty)

Last'One

Well:

You can join a guild to complete dungeon quests. Either through the group finder or in a guild, you’ll always depend on others to help you finish the quest (not skip content), unless you’re strong enough to do it solo.

With the Oakensoul ring, you can’t bar swap, but at least you’ll have a solid base DPS to help you understand the game and its mechanics before learning weaving. However, Oakensoul is not a good option for new players, because you should learn bar swapping (some players take years to master it), as well as mechanics and other fundamentals. At this point, there’s already a lot to deal with, so I’ll leave that discussion to others.
But if you use Oakensoul to start learning veteran trials, since it can definitely help new players, be prepared to be blocked from joining groups or kicked at any time. 100% normal

About toxicity, gatekeeping, and anti-fun behavior, yes, it exists. It’s not everywhere, but it’s there, and sooner or later you’ll run into it whether you like it or not. Maybe a raid leader will kick you out at the last boss just to invite a friend. Yep, that happens too. Anyway, toxicity, gatekeeping, and anti-fun behavior from both players are, sadly, somewhat normal in ESO. Not always, but yes, it's normal.

Regarding the Necromancer, it’s fun from a lore perspective. But imagine this: an NPC asks for your Necromancer’s help, and when you use your skills to assist, they attack you, guards attack you, and you get a bounty. That’s so nice, right? If you’re a Necromancer, why do they ask for your help just to attack you afterward? Once again, that’s a perfect example of "anti-fun behavior" from ZOS.

Anyway… ESO used to be a true The Elder Scrolls-based game, full of TES lore and atmosphere. Now, and I’ll say it again, it’s a damn mess.

I’m just sharing my point of view about the game, and my opinion in response to the original post’s question:
“New player: Is ESO worth it in 2025?”
No. It’s not worth it. Stay away.

NOTE:

Everything I said was true. Then you see a lot of comments saying, "What you said is true, but…", but nothing. Too much talk for nothing.

H3rBie

there is so much to do when starting from zero, questing, exploring, level skillines (classes, crafting, guilds, ..). You have hundrets of hours to play before you enter into the real endgame (if you take your time and enjoy the game). You can play around with setups, skillcombinations,....

it's also a question how you define endgame, for many in the communtiy is housing the ultimate endgame and the do really amazing stuff.

now with subclassing, you can't do something wrong with the class you choose, you will have access to all other skilllines at a later point and so you will always have the possibility to create a good endgame build out of your base class without leveling a new charakter.

and even when you wan't another class or simply a second charakter, then you can level them really fast with expierence scrolls, during ingame events with double exp and gear that gives you addional exp.

aetherix8

Sure it is worth it imho.
You have now plenty of opinions, positive and negative, so you can get a more or less accurate view of the state of the game.
But, in the end, only you can say whether you consider it worthwhile. I would say try it, then see to which point you want to engage yourself.

frogthroat

Last'One wrote: »

You can join a guild to complete dungeon quests. Either through the group finder or in a guild, you’ll always depend on others to help you finish the quest (not skip content), unless you’re strong enough to do it solo.

Yes, sometimes to do group content it is better to be in a group.

The guild I am in organises a lot of story modes to dungeons. There's an active group going through group content.

What is great in this MMO is that you still can do a lot of group content solo if you so choose to.

Last'One wrote: »

About toxicity, gatekeeping, and anti-fun behavior, yes, it exists. It’s not everywhere, but it’s there, and sooner or later you’ll run into it whether you like it or not. Maybe a raid leader will kick you out at the last boss just to invite a friend. Yep, that happens too. Anyway, toxicity, gatekeeping, and anti-fun behavior from both players are, sadly, somewhat normal in ESO. Not always, but yes, it's normal.

So your main issue is with people, not the game itself per se? Regardless of activity, in video games or irl, when there are many people involved there will be some you don't get along with.

How many times have I now mentioned guilds? Just like in real world, look for a group of like-minded people and you'll have much better time than with random people.

Glad you were willing to soften you claims as "it's not everywhere, but it's there". Yes, there are people in an MMO. And just like in life, you will not get along with everyone. No one does.

Guilds exist.

Last'One wrote: »

Regarding the Necromancer, it’s fun from a lore perspective. But imagine this: an NPC asks for your Necromancer’s help, and when you use your skills to assist, they attack you, guards attack you, and you get a bounty. That’s so nice, right? If you’re a Necromancer, why do they ask for your help just to attack you afterward? Once again, that’s a perfect example of "anti-fun behavior" from ZOS.

That sounds cool! Which quest are you referring to? I want to do that with my Necro.

Last'One wrote: »

NOTE:

Everything I said was true. Then you see a lot of comments saying, "What you said is true, but…", but nothing. Too much talk for nothing.

That's quite creative interpretation.

Plusscher

frogthroat wrote: »

Last'One wrote: »

You can join a guild to complete dungeon quests. Either through the group finder or in a guild, you’ll always depend on others to help you finish the quest (not skip content), unless you’re strong enough to do it solo.

Yes, sometimes to do group content it is better to be in a group.

The guild I am in organises a lot of story modes to dungeons. There's an active group going through group content.

What is great in this MMO is that you still can do a lot of group content solo if you so choose to.

Last'One wrote: »

About toxicity, gatekeeping, and anti-fun behavior, yes, it exists. It’s not everywhere, but it’s there, and sooner or later you’ll run into it whether you like it or not. Maybe a raid leader will kick you out at the last boss just to invite a friend. Yep, that happens too. Anyway, toxicity, gatekeeping, and anti-fun behavior from both players are, sadly, somewhat normal in ESO. Not always, but yes, it's normal.

So your main issue is with people, not the game itself per se? Regardless of activity, in video games or irl, when there are many people involved there will be some you don't get along with.

How many times have I now mentioned guilds? Just like in real world, look for a group of like-minded people and you'll have much better time than with random people.

Glad you were willing to soften you claims as "it's not everywhere, but it's there". Yes, there are people in an MMO. And just like in life, you will not get along with everyone. No one does.

Guilds exist.

Last'One wrote: »

Regarding the Necromancer, it’s fun from a lore perspective. But imagine this: an NPC asks for your Necromancer’s help, and when you use your skills to assist, they attack you, guards attack you, and you get a bounty. That’s so nice, right? If you’re a Necromancer, why do they ask for your help just to attack you afterward? Once again, that’s a perfect example of "anti-fun behavior" from ZOS.

That sounds cool! Which quest are you referring to? I want to do that with my Necro.

Last'One wrote: »

NOTE:

Everything I said was true. Then you see a lot of comments saying, "What you said is true, but…", but nothing. Too much talk for nothing.

That's quite creative interpretation.

Wanted to reply, but this sums it up pretty much. I never get the "group content in an MMORPG requiring other people??" bit. Mainly not in eso where you can solo (or with a companion) everything on normal anyways if we are being completely honest (except the like...2 dungeons that are kinda softlocked behind at least 2 people). Hell, even older trials are becoming so powercrept you can do it with half the people it was indented with (or if you optimise even a tiny bit, normal older trials are just 4-man content at this point, hooray for powercreep). Why play an MMORPG if you don't want to interact or do stuff with other people?

But anyways to at least somewhat reply to OP, because I completely forgot to do so at first (PCEU PoV answer):

Cyanure wrote: »

- if I "start" now, is it still possible to find guilds who accept newcomers ? In my experience, MMO guilds are either super casual and fall apart quickly, or limited to a close group of friends who never really let you in.

Yes, plenty I would say, there are so many guilds I know/see that would love to have new people who want to learn! If you are on PCEU and you want to join a casual-ish guild for mostly PvE content (we run trials by request mostly and dungeons as well if someone needs something from those along with many different activity) we welcome you and help you along your journey, that is if you would like to join us! (You can send a mail or whisper me @Plusscher) And also do keep an eye out for adverts in zonechats, and apply to them if you like what they are saying. If you don't like them, just leave really, you can always find one that you can settle in for good.

Cyanure wrote: »

- What do you think about "end game" / current PvE content ? Is it fun, approachable ? Is progession satisfying, regarding optimisation of gear, skills, etc ?

Both yes and no in my opinion. If you have a steady group of people to play with aka friends then it's really nice, after a while it stagnates as per any progression, but it's a really nice journey in my opinion. What is kinda eh about it is many people fall into the hole of "only arcanist/dk/templar or nightblade is the way, everything else is just bad and only 2 sets of gear is good nothing else", but there are other options as well, which might do like 5-10% less, but in the grand picture that number means nothing.

Cyanure wrote: »

- Is PvP still a thing ?

Yes, but it is a shell of what it used to be. There are still players about, but there is virtually no new players joining, it's almost always the same names popping up if that makes sense. Mainly in smaller scale pvp like Imp city and battleground. And in Cyrodiil the only campaign basically is just GH, the rest are dead fully.

Cyanure wrote: »

- I never see people interacting in capitals or the overworld ; are some places more active than others ?

There are some hubs, but it's once again a bit of a "shell of what it used to be" situation. Auridion "the wall" is still a popular place, Northern Eslweyr still active somewhat, West Weald is also kinda populated, Solstice because of the event of course, the rest feels a bit empty, but honestly I might just lack the information where the people of Tamriel hang out.

-

The whole game right now is kinda in a weird spot, subclassing really split people understandably so (I still wish pure classes were not nuked completely), but in my honest opinion if you find "your place" so to speak in eso it's pretty nice. With a nice community it's really really nice. And if you want to solo quest/achievement hunt, etc and not bother with group content, that bit is also still holding up.

MorallyBipolar

Kelenan7368 wrote: »

Most of the game is fantastic, but the recent event withering wall is poop! And ZOS is tweaking the combat animations to help old gen consoles be able to continue to play which has had very negative affects to how the game is currently playing.

I am currently finding the game more frustrating than fun with continuously being randomly kicked out and having to fight to get back in just to be blocked from the dungeon or PVP match I was in. Abilities are not working at all at times and bar swapping gets frozen.

The writhing wall event was very poorly created and implemented. It's a harsh grind and not fun at all and not at all what they told the community it was going to be.

I suggest waiting a few months before coming back for ESO to fix all that is currently messed up.

The withering wall event is an extended version of the 10th anniversary event grind. Not to mention the wall event seems to totally lack any creativity. It's like ZOS figured it worked in Game of Thrones, so it'll be fine in ESO too or something.

Vulkunne

ESO is still a great game. It is still fun.

kevkj

To answer your questions directly: Yes the guild population is still healthy enough on most platforms, though it might be more difficult to find one in your language.

For someone starting anew, PVE progression is still rewarding especially if you take on support roles because the standard damage dealer role is unfortunately largely pigeon holed into one mostly unchanging setup at the moment.

PVP definitely still exists... in varying levels of activity depending on your server and time zone. I would be wary of making PVP your ONLY reason to play the game, but I think you can definitely still have it be one of your recurring activities.

For interactions, I assume you mean chatting with others. I think in every server it has become limited to 1 or 2 zones. PC NA for example it's largely limited to Northern Elsweyr and whatever the 'hot' zone is (at the moment Solstice).

I think even many of the more 'negative' players will tell you that for a new player ESO still offers a lot to experience. The issue mostly is a problem of staleness (on the PVE side) which won't be a problem for you given that everything would be fresh. There is this one person in this thread making it out that they get persecuted just for existing in this game and I won't deny the truth of their personal experience, but for you @Cyanure if you've come from WoW I can assure you if you have some basic common sense and social skills your overall group experience will be way more pleasant than in WoW.

karthrag_inak

Last'One wrote: »

Well:
NOTE:

Everything I said was true. Then you see a lot of comments saying, "What you said is true, but…", but nothing. Too much talk for nothing.

Actually, your comment about vampires and werewolves not getting a bounty is absolutely not true. But hey, you do you.

soelslaev

Last'One wrote: »

There are definitely better MMOs out there right now.

Better suited to your personal tastes, you mean.

From 22 to 25, I went on a quest to try out different MMO RPGs. I tried all the ones on every top 10 list. I was disappointed in all of them, and the reasons were varied. So I came crawling back to ESO.

Well, until I checked out a game everyone was complaining about and fell in love with it. But while I was taking a break from it, Amazon announced it was closing down.

So, based on my tastes, for MMO RPGs that are not closing down, ESO is the best. I do not make that statement gleefully. The state of the genre saddens me.

Nomadic_Atmoran

Every person I have invited to play the game has quit in short order. Most of them are heavy gamers and very much into MMOs and the TES franchise.

Every single one has found the game overwhelming and confusing to navigate. One friend kept buying different versions of the game because she couldn't figure out which one had the content she was after. Some of that was on her. But ZOS definitely isn't making the experience of getting into the game easy on new players.

Personally I wont be suggesting anyone else give this game a try. If ZOS wanted new players. They should have done better when it came to first impressions.

SneaK

The game is still good as a solo RPG which a vast amount of people did not buy ESO to play a solo RPG…….

ZOS_Hadeostry

Greetings,

After removing some unnecessary back and forth from this thread, as well as some off topic posts, we would like everyone to keep posts on the subject at hand, civil, and constructive.

If there may be any questions in regards to the rules, please feel free to review them here

DoofusMax

Cyanure wrote: »

My questions are :

- if I "start" now, is it still possible to find guilds who accept newcomers ? In my experience, MMO guilds are either super casual and fall apart quickly, or limited to a close group of friends who never really let you in.

I'm sure there are some guilds out there which are mostly just friends who like to play together, so they would not be particularly open to newcomers. There are also some guilds out there that "specialize" in particular end-game content, so they want experienced players who are also into that content. The rest are very much open to new players and a lot of them have been holding together since the game launched in 2014. For the most part, the guilds that I see that kind of disappear are those which were

1. specifically created in order to unlock things like the Guild Bank (they don't mind having inactive members because it keeps the Bank operating)
2. lacking in solid guild leadership or where interpersonal conflicts fracture the members, or
3. both

If the guild's reason for creation isn't something which can persist, then the guild won't. An active guildmaster (or minimally active officers with appropriate permissions) helps a lot.

Cyanure wrote: »

- What do you think about "end game" / current PvE content ? Is it fun, approachable ? Is progession satisfying, regarding optimisation of gear, skills, etc ?

Endgame is mostly whatever you decide it is, but you're going to miss out on most of the game if your goal is to get into that endgame as quickly as possible. I've been playing for several years and generally having a good time. I've got my personal gripes and quibbles, but they aren't serious enough to make me put the game aside. OTOH, some of my gripes and quibbles have been absolute deal-breakers for other players. Your tastes are going to dictate how things work in your case.

Cyanure wrote: »

- Is PvP still a thing ?

Yes. I'm not a PvP'er, but it's still there and it's still a thing.

Cyanure wrote: »

- I never see people interacting in capitals or the overworld ; are some places more active than others ?

It probably depends on your platform. I'm on PC and there are plenty of people interacting all over, but they're mostly doing it in guild chat (you can't see it if you're not a member of that guild), private messages, or through a third-party app of some sort, like Discord. PC doesn't have any in-game voice-chat functionality.

Cyanure wrote: »

PS : I am sorry if some parts of my post are unclear or confused, english is not my mothertongue.

You did fine.

SeaGtGruff

What platform are you looking at? Your comment that you "never see people interacting in capitals or the overworld" makes me wonder if you're on a PS or Xbox console, because I always see plenty of other players in the capitals and in much of the overland areas in general when I play on PC, but I've seen people who play on console talk about low populations.

In any case, I personally think ESO is (still) a great game to play.

Dock01

ZOS_Hadeostry wrote: »

Greetings,

After removing some unnecessary back and forth from this thread, as well as some off topic posts, we would like everyone to keep posts on the subject at hand, civil, and constructive.

If there may be any questions in regards to the rules, please feel free to review them here

ahhh no wonder there are more good reviews than honest ones

Tornaad

Cyanure wrote: »

Hello,

I played a little bit of ESO back in 2020 and I loved the first zones of each faction. I had to stop because of my job, but now, I can (and I would like to) come back.
However, even if I plan to play mostly solo through all the quests and zones, I am worried about the current state of the game and its community.
I know that MMO players tend to be excessively negative about their own game (I come from WoW...), but a lot of concerns seemed to rise after the Microsoft buying and the core direction of ESO.
My questions are :

- if I "start" now, is it still possible to find guilds who accept newcomers ? In my experience, MMO guilds are either super casual and fall apart quickly, or limited to a close group of friends who never really let you in.
- What do you think about "end game" / current PvE content ? Is it fun, approachable ? Is progession satisfying, regarding optimisation of gear, skills, etc ?
- Is PvP still a thing ?
- I never see people interacting in capitals or the overworld ; are some places more active than others ?


Thank you for reading

PS : I am sorry if some parts of my post are unclear or confused, english is not my mothertongue.

I'm somewhere close to CP2500. I've almost exclusively played only solo content.
My favorite activity bar none, is questing. My only gripe about the game is how easy overland content is. Thankfully they are finally going to fix that.
Finding a guild that will accept you is easy. Finding one that fits your needs might take a bit of work. I just want somewhere better than a merchant to sell my stuff at and that does not require me to be active in chat, because I pretty much am not.
I have no idea what I consider endgame.
PVP? I'm slowly trying to get involved in that, but being as anti-social as I am, I expect that to take some work.

frogthroat

Tornaad wrote: »

Cyanure wrote: »

Hello,

I played a little bit of ESO back in 2020 and I loved the first zones of each faction. I had to stop because of my job, but now, I can (and I would like to) come back.
However, even if I plan to play mostly solo through all the quests and zones, I am worried about the current state of the game and its community.
I know that MMO players tend to be excessively negative about their own game (I come from WoW...), but a lot of concerns seemed to rise after the Microsoft buying and the core direction of ESO.
My questions are :

- if I "start" now, is it still possible to find guilds who accept newcomers ? In my experience, MMO guilds are either super casual and fall apart quickly, or limited to a close group of friends who never really let you in.
- What do you think about "end game" / current PvE content ? Is it fun, approachable ? Is progession satisfying, regarding optimisation of gear, skills, etc ?
- Is PvP still a thing ?
- I never see people interacting in capitals or the overworld ; are some places more active than others ?


Thank you for reading

PS : I am sorry if some parts of my post are unclear or confused, english is not my mothertongue.

I'm somewhere close to CP2500. I've almost exclusively played only solo content.
My favorite activity bar none, is questing. My only gripe about the game is how easy overland content is. Thankfully they are finally going to fix that.
Finding a guild that will accept you is easy. Finding one that fits your needs might take a bit of work. I just want somewhere better than a merchant to sell my stuff at and that does not require me to be active in chat, because I pretty much am not.
I have no idea what I consider endgame.
PVP? I'm slowly trying to get involved in that, but being as anti-social as I am, I expect that to take some work.

If you play on PCNA, try a guild called Beyond The Pale Order. It's a guild originally for soloers -- the requirement for that guild is that you have Ring of the Pale Order. But they do also trading, raiding, housing, etc.

aussie500

ESO is always worth playing, especially if you want to go through the old content you have not played yet, you will enjoy it. Avoid anything new though till we have all beta tested it for ZOS. And the hamsters are getting a bit old and the antiquated bucket of bolts they call a server does not work so well during events these days, so expect problems during an event, and even more problems if they hold 2 events at the same time.

CatoUnchained

I feel like ESO is about to blink out forever. I could never recommend a game I believe is so close to end of life. I'm not happy about this at all, but after U35 the writing has been on the wall. Then they forced vengeance on us. So nope, sorry, couldn't recommend ESO at this point unfortunately.

xR3ACTORx

I really enjoyed recommending ESO as recommending Xbox to new potential players, but when being asked today I couldn't recommend any of them without having a bad feeling in the guts.

ZomZom

I've played on and off (mostly off) since launch. My last foray was about four years ago, then I started again this fall after really enjoying the Oblivion remake. I am having so much fun in this game--and the Writhing Wall and Witches festivals have been a blast. I like crafting, fishing (with my Companion Sharp-as-Night), and solo questing with the occasional duo with my husband. Regular players have high standards (as they should) and tend to gripe but I think it's important to be aware that the game is really a gem, especially for solo first-person questing and immersion.

Cyanure

Hello again,

thank you for these numerous answers ! It seems that the game still has many qualities, especially for a new player like me who like questing and the "old" content.

I started a Nord DK and I really like the EP zones so far (lvl 26). I will complete the main quest, most of EP quests, and then... well, I don't know yet !

Story-wise, can I do the Greymoor chapter immediatly after MQ ?

soelslaev

Tornaad wrote: »

PVP? I'm slowly trying to get involved in that, but being as anti-social as I am, I expect that to take some work.

Whether you mean 'antisocial' in the casual sense (introverted) or 'antisocial' in the psychological definition (criminal minded) then realize that Cyrodiil is populated with both types of players in abundance. You will fit right in.

whitecrow

People often use "antisocial" when what they really mean is "asocial."

reazea

It's worth it to play if you've already purchased ESO. It's a really bad time to be investing any $ into the game though. The season pass model has turned out to be a huge mistake and highly unpopular. That and ZOS lost more than half it's employees six months ago, so new content is not likely to be abundant if any gets created at all.

All signs point to now is not the time to put time or money into ESO.