Okay, okay, so you make a strong case that it probably isn’t Elseweyr, though I’m not fully convinced. (See other Post here https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/450063/foretelling-the-future-and-why-elseweyr-is-elsewhere-than-2019#latest ) Fine, but if it isn’t Elseweyr then where do you think it is?

This is a much harder thing to foretell. While there are ways of narrowing the field, there is absolutely no way to really know. ESO has 3 options at the moment:

1) Stay in Tamriel and continue exploring the continent in a mostly non-relative time compared to the main ESO story as they have already been doing.

2) Leave Tamriel and touch on lands and worlds beyond the main continent setting up new races, guilds, skills, weapons, and lands.

3) Start a true phase 2 of ESO and begin building a world after the main storyline and where the Cyrodiilic wars are headed or have ended.

It is most likely one of the first 2 options, the third requiring them to overwrite the existing lands and places or make separate different instances, one for the original main story, and one for the new 2nd part. While this is possible, and many would enjoy the change and the forward move and what it could bring, it is very unlikely. The only thing giving it credence is the new Russian Datamined Crate, which is underdeveloped with only its crate design shown. The crate itself glows blue like the Storm Atronach crates did previously, but instead of being wood they are made of steel with bolts. What really lends this credence is the pictures backdrop. It is of Cyrodiil right at the bridge of the Imperial City. The Bridge is destroyed with a piece of Cold Harbor seeming to float above it, and the Cyrodiilic lands themselves destroyed and upended with haphazard Alliance banners.

With Both Cyrodiil and Imperial City already designed and given to us, as well as both being PVP zones, it seems odd for a Chapter expansion to happen here. Which means the Crate stands alone unconnected to anything story wise, or is a PVP focused crown season, which has never been yet done, or it is a Cold Harbour Crate season just because they think it cool.
This would mean the Chapter release wouldn’t get its own crate season or that they are going to be changing and moving the Imperial City and Cyrodiil story lines forward and giving us changes to these zones…Time will tell us.


Like I said though, it is likely one of the first 2 options and such I will break this down below

(All percentages are randomly assigned and on an individual zone 0-100% scale…not cumulative)


IF THEY STAY IN TAMRIEL: 50% overall chance of this happening.


1) Hammerfell- 60% Chance

A) Well if we are going to follow the ESO Trend of 1 Chapter release per alliance, then it would place the Daggerfall next in line. (Orsinium, Morrowind, Summerset Isle) The only land left yet explored is Hammerfell of the Daggerfall Convenant. Also, as the Redguard only have a beginning Zone and Alikir Desert they too haven’t had any other DLC content or further expansion on their lands or race since the game’s inception. As such, this would be new content on a lesser explored Race, something that also follow the ESO trend.

Hammerfell’s entire Western boarder is that of Cyrodiil. If the new Russion mined Crate season is the chapter expansion season, the fact that so much of Hammerfell falls on Cyrodiil boarders lends to a main story that can very much be caught up in the Imperials and Cyrodiil itself, thus making the Crate season work. Though, to be fair, I’d expect Yokudan crates for Hammerfell.

C) Lastly, simply the land fits what ESO likes. A large parcel, seemingly to give a grand chapter scheme, but with huge portions not developed. The entire center of Hammerfell is a huge desert without towns, cities, or anything of note. As such the development of the chapter would focus only on the boarders of the land, something done in both the Morrowind and Summerset Isle chapters.


2) Skyrim-30% Chance

A) Skyrim has a lot against it. It is the most recent actual Elder Scrolls game, and a game that continues to persist. As such, the entire world is very very recently explored, and with the remastered version, in very beautiful detail. Also, the architecture, delves, and clothing styles have all been used repeatedly already with both the RIFT and SKYRIM, as well as both Forge and Dragonbones dungeon DLC’s.

There isn’t much NEWNESS here to offer and the Thu’um as an added skill line would not just be lore breaking, but lore shattering. There is only 1 Dragonborn a generation, if at all, and having thousands and millions of characters drawing on this power for the sake of builds in ESO is unfathomable. Also, it would make the players the true King of Tamriel, as it is the whole point of the Soulburst story and thus would change the original game greatly not to mention the fact that currently all Dragonborn are known in history.

C) There wouldn’t be dragons. Yes guys, you need Alduin for that and unless they want to continue destroying lore, the dragon’s needed to feed the Thu’um as well as the greatest draw to the original Skyrim game could not exist here. This would undoubtedly disappoint and draw criticism for the chapter and make it hard to build against.


3) Blackmarsh-10% Chance

A) The most recently released DLC content was already featured in this area and dove deeply into Argonian lore. The Argonian’s now have Shadowfin, The Hist DLC, and a DLC zone for them. With so much already given retreading these waters so soon is likely not an idea Zos is planning. While Blackmarsh will one day be fully explored if ESO persists, I feel that for the time being it’s for a much further release.

The most recent crown season is currently already Argonian themed. This doesn’t allow the Crate store much in terms of drawing power if, so soon, they are forced to cover Argonian themes. However, it would lend credence on just flat out ignoring the chapter release and doing a random Cyrodill crown season.

C) It adds little to the game at this point, so close in all aspects from clothing motifs, to furnishings, to already mentioned crown store, as well as a continued hammering of one area, and one race in terms of design and lore.


4) Elseweyr- 35% Chance

I won’t go into these reasons here, as my other post details this more. Let’s just say that if the 1st quarter Dungeon DLC is Khajiit themed with a Baandari crate season, Elseweyr is out. If it is not, then Elseweyr is likely the next chapter.


IF THEY LEAVE TAMRIEL- 60% overall Chance of this happening

1) Oblivion- 70% Chance

A) Since both the original story and the DLC chapter stories are complete, ESO needs a new bad guy for a great arch, needs more lands, and left this little hanging issue at the end of
Summerset (SPOILER) that Merdia couldn’t be trusted. The new chapters can pick this thread up and move forward sending us searching through Oblivion and the plains of existence for not only our sexy galant arrogant Golden Knight, but also Meridia, maybe even in the plane of The Colored Rooms.

Tamriel is being eaten quickly, with little more space to explore. If they Place LARGE chapter releases here instead of smaller DLC end-of-year releases Tamriel will only have a few years left of exploration before its all designed. Thus, leaving it for large chapters and exploring other places allows us to more slowly eat at the main Elder Scrolls lands in smaller bites.

C) Oblivion has the most space to explore and is filled with enemies. More than Nirn, there as great wealth of material here that would allow ESO to imagine themselves and create content completely new to the players.


2) The Islands of Akivir (Esroniet, Ynslea, Cathnoquery) – 50% Chance

A) While these lands aren’t TRUE Akivir they are lands that are non-Tamirel and hold mysteries and races that we don’t find on Tamriel. They are an economy of trading islands with Akivir roots that deal with both Tamriel and Akivir and lie just east of Mainland Tamriel. Eventually they will be taken by Tamriel in conquest by Uriel V.

This would give us new material, a doorway into Akivir itself, and new outside enemies that aren’t Daedric. While going all the way to Akivir so soon and easily seems like a rather large jump, this would be a great way at starting to get us there. Individually the islands couldn’t be a Chapter, but all three together could and opens a wealth of opportunity.

C) With the last DLC being Murkmire and people saying they are going elsewhere, (Not Tamriel maybe) this land would only be a boat sail away. It also allows ESO to go where no other Elder Scrolls game has gone and build things from scratch, while giving the salivating Lore followers a peak into a very mysterious and fabled land.


3) Pyandonea- 30% Chance

A) Here we start to drop under likelihood. Pyandonea now has motifs out, and its Mer in many stories. Since we just were in the AD territory and on a Southern Elf Island in Summerset, also dealing with elves and their politics, it furthers the unlikelyhood. Lastly the same Sload stories would need inclusion as they are also tied closely to Pyandonea, unlikely that ESO will travel here again so quickly.

While personally I’d love to see how they render the description of this land and see the addition of a new race we could play and possibly a water focused new class…again the Elves of Pyandonea have had a lot of their story unfold already. Also, since the people of Tamriel do not travel here, there would have to be a good reason for us to show up on these shores so suddenly, such as an invasion.

C) How will going here help ESO carve out a new story arch? While the new story arch could bring us here. It seems like a weak starting point in relation to Tamriel.


4) The Yokudan Archipelago – 10% Chance.

A) Yokuda didn’t ALL disappear, a string of islands remains. It is said they are inhabited still and trade with ships of Anvil. Like the Akiviri Islands, you would have to use all the lands available to make a large enough DLC for a chapter release, but it could be wildly new and build upon the lore of the underserved Redguard.

There was said to be Stone Magician’s here, and that possibly in retaliation for a lost war they sunk the land. In any case, this opens the door to a new class that focuses on earth as its weapon of choice.

C) Since this land is strongly tied to Tamriel with most of its people fleeing to the land and making Hammerfell, this is linked and has potential to begin a story that will affect Tamriel. But with this said, there doesn’t seem to be a strong yearning from the player base to explore here, and the same themes could be touched on and explored in Hammerfell itself, which is still yet developed.


5) Akivir Proper- 10% Chance

A) While I would love to go here, honestly, I would rather explore this world than any other, the Elder Scrolls has made it that typical far off land that is full of myths and beasts and sounds
better than anything you actually get to explore. It is a trope in Fantasy that such a land exists, just as the Dwemmer are a people that were far beyond the technology of the rest who fell and vanished. I shrug, it is what it is.

Since it is a long travel, and few have managed it, going all the way to Akivir with so much else to easily reach and explore, seems just a flat-out odd choice. You have to skip lands to get here and build a story that gives us a reason to try and get to Akivir.

C) Much of how Tamriel is set-up and works, doesn’t exist there. Mages guild, fighter’s guild, Wayshrines, ectera haven’t a place in any of those lands that we know and would hinder new players from exploring these since it would be the new starting location for the game.

This is the best I could think of and the most that seems offered. I feel the new chapter is either Hammerfell or a plane of Oblivion. The only other place that seems feasible are the Akiviri Islands. Again, this is based on gut feelings, what is left to explore, the nature of story building, lore yet unexplored, patterns that already exist in the game on their design choices, and lastly on the foundation that 1st Quarter DLC Dungeon Zone is Khajiit Themed and features the Baandari Crown Crates. Again if that doesn’t happen, then Elseweyr moves to the number one spot!