Very disappointed: Stadia Pro "Free" ESO is no longer available

Kemenril · July 2020

Despite the post on the Elder Scrolls news site still being "live" (https://www.elderscrollsonline.com/en-us/news/post/58303), the Stadia Pro "free" ESO offer is now over, much to my dismay. I had subbed to Stadia Pro exclusively to access ESO using their "free" base game offer (which via a linked account would have provided me to all my purchased stuff and subscription), but I discovered today that this offer ended [snip] yesterday. No mention of that anywhere on the ESO news site. But news is buried on this Stadia "blog" site! (https://community.stadia.com/t5/Stadia-Community-Blog/This-Week-on-Stadia-Just-Shapes-amp-Beats-free-games-and-more/ba-p/25771) As you can see, the offer ended on July 16.

Worse, the ESO "Support" page offers this now-false note when you query "Stadia":

Updated 06/16/2020 10:49 AM With a Stadia Pro membership, you can get access to The Elder Scrolls Online Standard Edition completely free, allowing you to experience the base game’s 23 zones, four classes, AND the Morrowind Chapter (with an additional zone and the Warden class) at no extra cost. You can try Stadia Pro free right now.
Thanks to Stadia’s PC crossplay and cross-progression support, you can pick up and continue your adventures if you previously played ESO on PC/Mac or Steam, meaning you won’t lose any progression and be able to access all your characters and continue playing with your friends and guildmates as normal on the PC NA or EU megaservers. You can even switch playing between all PC platforms (PC/Mac, Stadia, Steam) at will.

If you were NOT a Stadia member before visiting, how would you have known this offer was limited? Either Stadia [snip] the bed or ZOS did in not posting the limitation on the offer.

Either way: I'm not buying a game I already own, even in base game. I am a happy subscriber already to ESO, and I was prepared to sub to Stadia Pro just for access to the game, but I am not going to endorse clownshoes like this. Bad business.

[Edited for Censor Bypass]

Taleof2Cities · July 2020

Have you tried a Support ticket, @Kemenril?

lllgsmlll · July 2020

I have exactly same issue and agree that the whole stadia news campaign from Zenimax, as well as articles in support center, are now misleading. Stadia support confirmed the game is not for free anymore after 30 days since release. Support ticket sent to Zenimax. The only way to "enjoy the game" with Stadia now is to buy it again

Kemenril · July 2020

lllgsmlll wrote: »

I have exactly same issue and agree that the whole stadia news campaign from Zenimax, as well as articles in support center, are now misleading. Stadia support confirmed the game is not for free anymore after 30 days since release. Support ticket sent to Zenimax. The only way to "enjoy the game" with Stadia now is to buy it again

The Support forum has changed one of their messages --

CAN I GET THE ELDER SCROLLS ONLINE FREE WITH STADIA?
Updated 07/20/2020 11:24 AM
As of July 16th 2020, The Elder Scrolls Online Standard Edition is no longer free with a Stadia Pro membership.

If you have already claimed The Elder Scrolls Online with your Stadia Pro membership and have not allowed your membership to lapse, you may continue to playThe Elder Scrolls Online Standard Edition completely free.
This allows you to experience the base game’s 23 zones, four classes, AND the Morrowind Chapter (with an additional zone and the Warden class).

But other "Stadia" queries still point to the game being free. In fact, the highest answer I get is this:

HOW DO I GET ESO ON STADIA PRO?
Updated 06/16/2020 10:49 AM
If you are a Stadia Pro member, you can claim The Elder Scrolls Online for free. You can read more information on how to claim ESO here: Claiming free games with Stadia Pro

Please note that while you have an active Stadia Pro membership, you will not be able to purchase The Elder Scrolls Online from the Stadia store.