I would prefer if ZOS didn't go bankrupt, I'd like to play this game for a few more years.

I believe game mechanics should be free, but story and zone expansions shouldn't.
There are still no companions available for people with no DLC's, jewelry crafting certification is only available in summerset, excavations are only available in skyrim (I mean, the quests you need to do to get the skill tree), these are gameplay mechanics that shouldn't be bound to an expansion, if you want to get mythic items, you need to purchase the skyrim DLC otherwise you won't be able to excavate anything
You won't be able to get jewelry crafting writs unless you do the certification, and for that you need to buy the summerset DLC.
You won't be able to use any companions unless you do their quests, but you need blackwood (and/or high isles) to do their quests.

What's more intriguing is that your companion's quests are all in vanilla zones, only the starting quests are in DLC zones, so why are they locked behind a paywall?


From what I gather, the card game would be available for free for all users, right? Or do you need to do a quest in high isles just to be able to start challenging others across tamriel?

Anyway, long story short:
New gameplay mechanics should be free, new story and region expansions should not be free.

The only games I know with "free" expansions are ones with required sub (like WoW. But even then, you have to pay for the current one, only the 'old' ones are free) or the completely-f2p games, whose 'expansions' are generally tiny and whose cash shops are more egregious.

And thinking about WoW's system (anything but the latest expansion is "free" with sub), that's basically the same as ESO+. If you sub, you get everything but the latest Chapter (since the old chapters become DLC, which are free with ESO+)

I think ZOS should go back to the big zone of the year being included with ESO+ (like Wrothgar was). But I certainly don't think new game content should be free for everyone. Many people bought base game on sale for like $10 or $20 years ago. They should get unlimited new game content at no further charge forever? That seems pretty extreme.

Many of us paid for them and still get the dlc’s due to eso plus.

They'll go super heavy aggressive on other forms of marketing to make up for the loss of revenue. Won't change much I don't feel.

All DLC should still be included with the sub

I play ESO because it's buy to play. If expansions were free, but subscription was required to play the game - i would quit.

The game is B2P. That means there will be content that needs to be purchased to participate. I don't agree with some of the pricing but that's a separate matter.

I meant the expansion packs

Well, seeing how Morrowind just became free, I think it's likely that eventually all older expansions will become part of the base game.

I guess my question is how is ZOS meant to fund this game if everything is free?

It would be nice of they were, but I don't think that's a realistic possibility. The game needs to be profitable to be maintained. This is an unfortunate, for players, reality. Also I have the feeling that if they went to a forced subscription model for the game, many people would just leave so it'd probably be worse.

You don't have to leave. There is still plenty to do for most even without the latest expansion.