Please Stop Preying on FOMO

TheGamerSeal

Disclaimer: This is not an "I hate PvP" discussion; this discussion is about stopping the continued addition of limited-time rewards being stacked on top of the already existing battle pass. The next system happens to be Veterancy and PvP-related, and while I do express my dislike for PvP content in the post, the goal of this discussion is to stop the "get it before it's gone" direction that the game is going down.

Watching the April 9 stream and seeing that the new Veterancy system will have its own “seasons,” there is a clear trend in recent content: “get this before it’s gone.”

Most players may not care and will continue playing at their own pace. I’m not one of them. I want to collect new items at my own pace, not under a deadline.

I hate PvP. Not dislike—hate. Even with the relatively long window for Tamriel Tomes, the constant presence of a deadline has already added pressure to my playtime. I bought the current pass just to reduce that stress. I do not want additional pressure layered on top—especially if it requires engaging with PvP, which has always been a negative experience for me.

I also don’t understand how this direction is considered “respectful of player time.” The current system already requires significant daily effort (~207 Tome points per day) to complete. Adding another seasonal system with exclusive, time-limited rewards—particularly in PvP—only increases that burden.

My daily playtime has gone from 10–30 minutes to 2–5 hours depending on the objectives. That is not “respecting my time.” That is increasing obligation.

Please stop leaning so heavily on FOMO-driven systems. This direction is increasing obligation, not enjoyment—especially when it pushes players into modes they actively avoid.

EDIT: After speaking with guildmates and reading more responses, I want to clarify something: there is nothing inherently wrong with the Veterancy system itself.

The issue is the time-gating within it. That design pressures players to earn collectibles not at their own pace, but at a pace dictated by PvP performance and overall progression tuning.

In a seasonal model, there is no guarantee that players will have another opportunity to earn these collectibles later—especially if they are tied to content they don’t normally participate in.

Kickimanjaro

The veterancy system sounded like it was exclusively for PvP. Why do you want the stuff they're finally giving to PvP players as a reward for participating in PvP if you don't like PvP? Just don't PvP, then, and accept that you won't get the PvP-specific rewards?

Major_Mangle

Kickimanjaro wrote: »

The veterancy system sounded like it was exclusively for PvP. Why do you want the stuff they're finally giving to PvP players as a reward for participating in PvP if you don't like PvP? Just don't PvP, then, and accept that you won't get the PvP-specific rewards?

Because the ESO playerbase is incredibly entitled and believes that just because they´re paying customers that all content and rewards should more or less be automatically be given to them while barely participating. As you say, if you´re not interested in PvP, then don´t do it and accept that all rewards aren´t available for you, simple as that.

FurryCandyHearts

#NoFOMO

TheGamerSeal

Kickimanjaro wrote: »

The veterancy system sounded like it was exclusively for PvP. Why do you want the stuff they're finally giving to PvP players as a reward for participating in PvP if you don't like PvP? Just don't PvP, then, and accept that you won't get the PvP-specific rewards?

This isn’t about PvP having its own rewards. It’s about those rewards being time-limited and stacked on top of other FOMO systems.

“Just don’t do it” doesn’t address the issue when the design is built around missing out permanently. That’s where the pressure comes from.

TheGamerSeal

Major_Mangle wrote: »

Kickimanjaro wrote: »

The veterancy system sounded like it was exclusively for PvP. Why do you want the stuff they're finally giving to PvP players as a reward for participating in PvP if you don't like PvP? Just don't PvP, then, and accept that you won't get the PvP-specific rewards?

Because the ESO playerbase is incredibly entitled and believes that just because they´re paying customers that all content and rewards should more or less be automatically be given to them while barely participating. As you say, if you´re not interested in PvP, then don´t do it and accept that all rewards aren´t available for you, simple as that.

This isn’t about wanting rewards without effort. I’m already putting in significantly more time than before.

The issue is multiple time-limited systems stacking on top of each other, and one of them being tied to PvP. That’s where the pressure comes from—not a lack of willingness to participate.

Kickimanjaro

TheGamerSeal wrote: »

Kickimanjaro wrote: »

The veterancy system sounded like it was exclusively for PvP. Why do you want the stuff they're finally giving to PvP players as a reward for participating in PvP if you don't like PvP? Just don't PvP, then, and accept that you won't get the PvP-specific rewards?

This isn’t about PvP having its own rewards. It’s about those rewards being time-limited and stacked on top of other FOMO systems.

“Just don’t do it” doesn’t address the issue when the design is built around missing out permanently. That’s where the pressure comes from.

Thank you for the clarification. On this we agree, I too do not like these limited-time systems, but I also don't care too much about missing them. As I understood it, only that very last reward (which was a title I think) was exclusive to that season and the others could be obtainable in future seasons. That seemed acceptable to me, but I may have misunderstood it. I don't find the Veterancy system too problematic in this regard, but that is of course just my preference/opinion.

As for the tome, I don't understand it and don't like it. The UI confuses me, I don't know what I bought and why, I don't know why these challenges last for like 90 days or why people are already farming them, it's a mess.

I already feel a bit of the fear of missing out when it comes to the events, and I farm them partly because of this, and I agree that there are parts of that I dislike. It makes my game feel more like a chore. I don't want more chores. But with events, I'm at least doing them with other people and get to see the whole community together farming something and that's kind of fun. I don't think we'll see the same thing with these tome challenges because the duration of them is too long.

But, yeah, I don't like games with these "season" systems, and I usually just ignore them completely. I only bought the Tome this time because I wanted to give ZOS some money because I appreciated their communication lately... maybe I should have just bought crowns instead.

Sianeka

I'm another player that really isn't into pvp. And I agee, I will feel pressured to do an activity I don't really want to do if I want a reward that is exclusively for pvp players. I understand pvp players wanting nice rewards, who doesn't want nice rewards? but saying just accept that you can't have the reward if you don't want to do pvp is not a great response. Nor is it very community friendly! (I guess some pvp players just cannot resist trying to kill the opposition, wherever they may find it! LOL) If I want a trials-only armor set, I need to do trials to get it, but I'm willing to try especially with the help of 11 other folks that know what they are doing. But expecting me to solo progress deeply into a system I do not feel a part of to try to earn a specific reward is different. It isn't group cooperation or game enhancement. I have tried several pvp events - battlegrounds, sieges, cyrodiil quests - and I shudder to think I might be forced into doing bunches more to earn something nice. Especially if the reward isn't related to pvp, like a special mount that doesn't give any pvp bonuses. In consideration of game enjoyment, everyone should have a way to earn it, not just the pvp players. I can see pvp related rewards being locked into the pvp progression system, like some of the special pvp armor sets, but non-pvp rewards added to the system should also be available to those who aren't likely to enjoy the pvp grind. Let us also do the grind for it, fine. Just another way, not pvp. If my opinion makes you think I'm an "entitled" player that wants everything just given to them, then I think you really just don't understand the non-pvp player mindset...

Kickimanjaro

Sianeka wrote: »

If I want a trials-only armor set, I need to do trials to get it, but I'm willing to try especially with the help of 11 other folks that know what they are doing.

May I suggest that you approach Cyrodiil and PvP-related rewards in the same way?

Edit: Upon further reflection, and the influence of some skooma, I've realized that your experience is similar to mine with regards to Tales of Tribute. And in this case, that offered me a way to earn the rewards purely through PvE without needing to do the intended PvP card game against other people (I just ran around Tamriel playing NPCs in bars). Maybe there should be some sort of thing for the new, special title given to dedicated participants in the first six month PvP season... maybe not. I like the idea of a PvP only title. It's like for yall where you have something to show you did the trifecta. Not everyone needs that, but it's cool to show off. More cosmetic things like mounts, I get where you're coming from.

TheGamerSeal

After speaking with guildmates and reading more responses, I want to clarify something: there is nothing inherently wrong with the Veterancy system itself.

The issue is the time-gating within it. That design pressures players to earn collectibles not at their own pace, but at a pace dictated by PvP performance and overall progression tuning.

In a seasonal model, there is no guarantee that players will have another opportunity to earn these collectibles later—especially if they are tied to content they don’t normally participate in.

xylena

Only way to get them to stop is to disengage. Miss out because it's not worth it. When fomo causes a drop in engagement numbers, they will stop releasing content that way.

TheGamerSeal

Kickimanjaro wrote: »

Sianeka wrote: »

If I want a trials-only armor set, I need to do trials to get it, but I'm willing to try especially with the help of 11 other folks that know what they are doing.

May I suggest that you approach Cyrodiil and PvP-related rewards in the same way?

Edit: Upon further reflection, and the influence of some skooma, I've realized that your experience is similar to mine with regards to Tales of Tribute. And in this case, that offered me a way to earn the rewards purely through PvE without needing to do the intended PvP card game against other people (I just ran around Tamriel playing NPCs in bars). Maybe there should be some sort of thing for the new, special title given to dedicated participants in the first six month PvP season... maybe not. I like the idea of a PvP only title. It's like for yall where you have something to show you did the trifecta. Not everyone needs that, but it's cool to show off. More cosmetic things like mounts, I get where you're coming from.

We already have PvP-exclusive titles (e.g., “Battleground Butcher,” “Paragon,” “Tactician,” “Emperor”), and there’s nothing wrong with that.

The issue here is time-gating. Once a PvP season ends, those rewards are simply gone. That creates a situation where some players have access to certain collectibles or titles, while others never will—not because of effort or willingness to participate, but because they weren’t there at the right time.

Over time, that leads to more and more content becoming permanently inaccessible. That’s the concern—not PvP having its own rewards, but those rewards being tied to limited-time windows.

valenwood_vegan

xylena wrote: »

Only way to get them to stop is to disengage. Miss out because it's not worth it. When fomo causes a drop in engagement numbers, they will stop releasing content that way.

Absolutely this lol, folks (not any one in particular, just like players generally) complain about the FOMO stuff but then they log in and go after it hardcore, and corporate sees that data, and the cycle goes on.

TheGamerSeal

xylena wrote: »

Only way to get them to stop is to disengage. Miss out because it's not worth it. When fomo causes a drop in engagement numbers, they will stop releasing content that way.

valenwood_vegan wrote: »

Absolutely this lol, folks (not any one in particular, just like players generally) complain about the FOMO stuff but then they log in and go after it hardcore, and corporate sees that data, and the cycle goes on.

This is true to an extent—engagement numbers do matter, but they're only part of the picture. These kinds of systems can increase short-term engagement and increase burnout and long-term drop-off. Not everyone who engages with these systems likes them—they’re just responding to the pressure.

Rohamad_Ali

Every year there's a Hate PvP but want the content rewards thread. Thanks for not letting us down in 2026.

Vaqual

I am also not a fan of temporary content. But in this case it is important to keep a couple things in mind:

> the system is free of charge
> the timeframe is relatively wide (we don't know the progress rate yet)
> they probably don't want to keep adding in infinite new systems, but rather a way to refresh rewards for participation through a fleshed out and friction-free pipeline that players can get used to
> they try to support average PvP populations by adding reward incentives that can be updated, to create a sustainable long-term draw
> there might be a chance that uniques make a comeback via avenues, e.g., in the bazaar or events

If they would never flush older rewards from Veterancy they would either have to extend the reward list into a giga-track* (thinking long term), which eventually dilutes the meaningfulness of the milestones for anyone who hasn't been keeping up anyway, or they'd have to overload milestones by stacking rewards on top of existing ones. All variants, including the current concept, have at least one drawback.

It doesn't seem to me that this is a malicious attempt to create FOMO for direct monetization. I rather think the system is planned with specific player-friendly goals in mind and for now I am finding it rather positive.

Maybe a solution to the core issue could be a way to activate older paths after clearing the "current" for some kind of cost, like X million AP or a crown store token?

*not to mention the additional ranks and stages that would require design and become a burden on the UI and/or load times

Attorneyatlawl

If you don't like pvp, just ignore it. This is a consensual pvp game. The rewards are irrelevant. Same goes for FOMO. You'll survive without the shiny. I got one am glad to see new pvp things.

zenonuk

Perhaps I'm being stupid... but why...

If it's about rewards being time-bound... why should this years' Olympic Gold medal winners be awarded next years' Gold medals (or vice versa)? PVP is that... you win this season, you get a reward... you win next season, you get a reward. Every year those Gold medals have a different design... not sure I see any reason why ESO should follow some altruistic ideal. PVP Veterancy rewards are no different to the Olympics. If you want that trinket, take part, win. Or don't bother. There's no reason why last season's ESO's PVP winners should not have their own (and unique) "shiny".

If it's about type of content... why shouldn't people who only play PVP have their own PVP themed rewards? Why shouldn't people who only play PVE have their own PVE themed rewards? If you want both, play both... and ToT if you care for those rewards also.

Vaqual wrote: »

I am also not a fan of temporary content. But in this case it is important to keep a couple things in mind:

That said, I do agree re. temporary PLAYABLE content (Writhing Fortress when are YOU coming back?)... playable content, which took time to create (probably at great expense to ZOS) should not be a flash-in-the-pan experience (there's no reason, for example, for WF to not be dropped back in "as-was" for people to just muck around in, and maybe in the future adapted into a legitimate public dungeon).

But rewards for playing specific content at a specific time... personally I don't see the issue... it's only annoying because you know it exists. I don't have that Anniversary Cake from 2016 (didn't understand the game enough back then)... so yeah, that missing spot in my collection annoys me... but that's life, surely?

If you look in your Collections UI... how many of those things are you missing shown in grey (probably achievable) versus how many things you know exist and didn't get, versus all those things in the game you don't even know you had a chance to own. You will never fully "complete" (definitions may vary) ESO, no matter how much you try.


[EDIT]

I will add a few words of advice/wisdom/experience...

Firstly, as somebody who isn't a PVP person, finding the right guild (for you) and the right group (for you) will do amazing things for your enjoyment in this game. If there's PVP rewards you want, and you don't usually do PVP, it's generally not a problem (in my experience) to get a bunch of people into Cyrodiil to achieve what's needed. The biggest issue tends to be finding enough people on the same alliance. Battlegrounds, again in my experience, are a lot more fun pre-grouped with guildies. (And yes some people will disagree, many people I play with don't mind dungeon PUGs, but I avoid them like the plague... we're all have our own crosses to bear.)

Secondly, if anyone is trying to collect EVERY "shiny" in this game, to the point it's taking so many hours it's almost an addiction, I would strongly advise/suggest that perhaps ESO is not the game they should be playing right now. Collecting everything is simply not achievable.

TheGamerSeal

Rohamad_Ali wrote: »

Every year there's a Hate PvP but want the content rewards thread. Thanks for not letting us down in 2026.

This isn't an "I hate PvP" discussion; this is a "stop adding time-gated content" post.

xylena

TheGamerSeal wrote: »

Not everyone who engages with these systems likes them—they’re just responding to the pressure.

That's exactly why game devs continue releasing fomo content. If the response is to complain but keep playing anyway, the data will show the devs that fomo is still motivating players to log in. So if you want your response to matter, you need to disengage. When so many players disengage that fomo content drops their play numbers, then devs will change their approach.

For example, we have seen the MMO genre trend towards accessibility over punishing grind because enough players simply stopped engaging in grind content, not for forum posts alone.

Madarc

xylena wrote: »

wrote.. #20

For players who don't have a subscription, the latest changes are actually a plus. For subscribers, it's a disaster. You're basically paying to be able to earn more, which means you have to spend more time on the very things you paid for... lol. That sounds confusing, I know... I’m still figuring out for myself how to evaluate all this “new” stuff.

But I completely agree with you: You’ve described clearly well the only effective way to show ZOS what FOMO does for THEM.

Vaqual

zenonuk wrote: »

Perhaps I'm being stupid... but why...

If it's about rewards being time-bound... why should this years' Olympic Gold medal winners be awarded next years' Gold medals (or vice versa)? PVP is that... you win this season, you get a reward... you win next season, you get a reward. Every year those Gold medals have a different design... not sure I see any reason why ESO should follow some altruistic ideal. PVP Veterancy rewards are no different to the Olympics. If you want that trinket, take part, win. Or don't bother. There's no reason why last season's ESO's PVP winners should not have their own (and unique) "shiny".

If it's about type of content... why shouldn't people who only play PVP have their own PVP themed rewards? Why shouldn't people who only play PVE have their own PVE themed rewards? If you want both, play both... and ToT if you care for those rewards also.

Vaqual wrote: »

I am also not a fan of temporary content. But in this case it is important to keep a couple things in mind:

That said, I do agree re. temporary PLAYABLE content (Writhing Fortress when are YOU coming back?)... playable content, which took time to create (probably at great expense to ZOS) should not be a flash-in-the-pan experience (there's no reason, for example, for WF to not be dropped back in "as-was" for people to just muck around in, and maybe in the future adapted into a legitimate public dungeon).

But rewards for playing specific content at a specific time... personally I don't see the issue... it's only annoying because you know it exists. I don't have that Anniversary Cake from 2016 (didn't understand the game enough back then)... so yeah, that missing spot in my collection annoys me... but that's life, surely?

If you look in your Collections UI... how many of those things are you missing shown in grey (probably achievable) versus how many things you know exist and didn't get, versus all those things in the game you don't even know you had a chance to own. You will never fully "complete" (definitions may vary) ESO, no matter how much you try.


[EDIT]

I will add a few words of advice/wisdom/experience...

Firstly, as somebody who isn't a PVP person, finding the right guild (for you) and the right group (for you) will do amazing things for your enjoyment in this game. If there's PVP rewards you want, and you don't usually do PVP, it's generally not a problem (in my experience) to get a bunch of people into Cyrodiil to achieve what's needed. The biggest issue tends to be finding enough people on the same alliance. Battlegrounds, again in my experience, are a lot more fun pre-grouped with guildies. (And yes some people will disagree, many people I play with don't mind dungeon PUGs, but I avoid them like the plague... we're all have our own crosses to bear.)

Secondly, if anyone is trying to collect EVERY "shiny" in this game, to the point it's taking so many hours it's almost an addiction, I would strongly advise/suggest that perhaps ESO is not the game they should be playing right now. Collecting everything is simply not achievable.

Not sure who or what you seemed to be addressing, but since you quoted me, simple answer to your "why":

Because not everyone can play at all times. If that molten lava shield bash (capstone reward from stream preview) is maybe something that fits a players aesthetic perfectly, but he only started playing in 2028, there is no reason why it should be kept unavailable just to make some players feel special. In sports and actual competitions there is something to this logic, but in video games it makes no sense to develop assets and not have ways for players to utilize them eventually. Since this will not be tied to an exclusive leaderboard it doesn't qualify as competition either. Ultimately, the when and the how are important, but if that new player is willing to make an effort for it, nothing speaks against making items available again. One wouldn't need to be a collector to want a specific thing. The game is meant to be played, not to validate people by providing time-gates uniques.

TheGamerSeal

xylena wrote: »

TheGamerSeal wrote: »

Not everyone who engages with these systems likes them—they’re just responding to the pressure.

That's exactly why game devs continue releasing fomo content. If the response is to complain but keep playing anyway, the data will show the devs that fomo is still motivating players to log in. So if you want your response to matter, you need to disengage. When so many players disengage that fomo content drops their play numbers, then devs will change their approach.

For example, we have seen the MMO genre trend towards accessibility over punishing grind because enough players simply stopped engaging in grind content, not for forum posts alone.

While engagement definitely matters, it's not the only sign developers can or will pay attention to. FOMO-targeting systems may show high engagement in the short-term as players feel pressured to participate, but they also increase burnout that leads to long-term drops in engagement and player counts. The feedback side tells the developers why there's a surge of player participation so it doesn't just look like "more people are playing because we did this".

TheGamerSeal

Madarc wrote: »

xylena wrote: »

wrote.. #20

For players who don't have a subscription, the latest changes are actually a plus. For subscribers, it's a disaster. You're basically paying to be able to earn more, which means you have to spend more time on the very things you paid for... lol. That sounds confusing, I know... I’m still figuring out for myself how to evaluate all this “new” stuff.

But I completely agree with you: You’ve described clearly well the only effective way to show ZOS what FOMO does for THEM.

You have a valid point, to be sure. Subscribers definitely have more work to do, and I think that's why ZeniMax added tome point caches to the subscription (though I suspect this may result in a slight price increase if it hasn't already).

While tome point caches - or any catch-up mechanism - may help, they still don't remove the underlying pressure created by time-limited engagement systems - they only make them more manageable. With or without help, there is still an expectation to keep up.

MincMincMinc

Yeah current zos doesnt realize that if they just made the actual gameplay good, people would play the game. There wouldnt be a need to fake inflate player numbers for corporate meetings by using daily farming tasks. People getting home from work or school don't want to do multiple hours of monotonous chores in a videogame.

Funny enough cyrodil is a prime example where zos put little to no investment over the years, yet you had a constant playerbase which simply loved the combat system. Yet we zos slowly gutting the gameplay down for the sake of hack&slash vfx and trading card game type proc gear system.

DoofusMax

I'm going to have to go with "extreme confusion" regarding the OP's complaint. To step outside the game, this is very much like "I hate pineapple on pizza and I will never eat pizza which has pineapple on it (maybe if you hold a gun to my head, but only maybe), but I'm upset that pineapple is a limited-time topping." If they don't want to PvP, then the rewards for PvP'ing should be of absolutely no consequence, FOMO or not.

Arkascha

Ezz PvP Kills👀

Danz_Macabre

Limited time events is how you get people together to play.
Why do you need PVP stuff, if you hate PVP.
Seasons and events is really not a new thing in games.
I dont PVP, but I imagine, they will work through alot of it just doing...pvp.. like they normally do? And yes..it's for the pvp community. Lets let them have something without shouting about FOMO.
I don't find the weekly or seasonal objectives difficult or very time consuming. It actually brought my hubby back to the game. (He loves lists and objectives. 😅)

kevkj

Perhaps what needs to happen is for them to add even more FOMO systems in the game so you can finally learn to let go of the things you can't or won't do.

TheGamerSeal

DoofusMax wrote: »

I'm going to have to go with "extreme confusion" regarding the OP's complaint. To step outside the game, this is very much like "I hate pineapple on pizza and I will never eat pizza which has pineapple on it (maybe if you hold a gun to my head, but only maybe), but I'm upset that pineapple is a limited-time topping." If they don't want to PvP, then the rewards for PvP'ing should be of absolutely no consequence, FOMO or not.

This is not an "I hate PvP" discussion. This is a "stop adding 'get it before it's gone'-style content" discussion.

TheGamerSeal

Danz_Macabre wrote: »

Limited time events is how you get people together to play.
Why do you need PVP stuff, if you hate PVP.
Seasons and events is really not a new thing in games.
I dont PVP, but I imagine, they will work through alot of it just doing...pvp.. like they normally do? And yes..it's for the pvp community. Lets let them have something without shouting about FOMO.
I don't find the weekly or seasonal objectives difficult or very time consuming. It actually brought my hubby back to the game. (He loves lists and objectives. 😅)

I'd like to point out that MincMincMinc's comment does make some valid points:

MincMincMinc wrote: »

Yeah current zos doesnt realize that if they just made the actual gameplay good, people would play the game. There wouldnt be a need to fake inflate player numbers for corporate meetings by using daily farming tasks. People getting home from work or school don't want to do multiple hours of monotonous chores in a videogame.

Funny enough cyrodil is a prime example where zos put little to no investment over the years, yet you had a constant playerbase which simply loved the combat system. Yet we zos slowly gutting the gameplay down for the sake of hack&slash vfx and trading card game type proc gear system.

This is also not an "I hate PvP" discussion; this is a "stop adding 'get it before it's gone'-style content" discussion. There is nothing wrong with a progression system for PvP content - that alone is fine.