The fact that you don't even mention the single biggest worldwide event in a century that drove people into their homes and on to the internet and is well known to have delivered a huge increase in gaming (online and otherwise) is suspect.

Steam is more likely to show a downward trend, as it also includes players first discovering ESO, and players who join in the free week. The players playing through the standalone client are most likely the ones more likely to be sticking around.

Yes, there does show a downward trend there. But just naming random things you dislike as causes isn't fair, nor might there even be any truth to them. Personally I think it has more to do with how people worldwide are at the moment. You can see it on this forum as well, players want things instantly or faster, instead of playing the game. Everyone is rushing to the end, while not seeing the beautiful sunset on the way there. MMO's are not for those types of people, as MMO's require you to take the time. MMO's are meant to stretch out the gameplay over weeks/months, something most people nowadays no longer have the patience for. But that is an issue for the entire MMO genre, not just ESO. (Note: You can see this trend in any MMO, two months after an expansion release almost everyone has gone away to do something else. But those players usually do come back for the next big expansion/update.)

Besides all that, there are also other major factors in play. Wars, heatwaves, covid is now over, everything is more expensive so players have less money and time to invest in games, etc. Hopefully ESO will attract many players in years to come, and will release many great future updates/expansions. As the game is quite a lot of fun, even if only to play through just once.

INM wrote: »

Yes, there was COVID, but the fact that the devs weren't able to use a golden chicken to their advantage speaks for itself.

I am in the comfortable situation, that my temporary homeoffice contract due to covid was extended to a permanent one.
This saves me 90 minutes of public transport each day, in addition I can use an hour of lunchtime break to do my dailies.

2 and a half hour each day more than if I'd work from the office.

The decrease you see, reflects this. Players no longer have this amount of time, as they must go back to work.

These are simple facts, while everything else is speculation and wishfull thinking from people, who have a deficit in personal stability.
Someone who is stable, does not depend on permanent communication from a game-publisher.
He does not need to flood a forum with posts expressing his frustration about changes, that happen since this game exists.

Two years ago, I became victim of such mass-hysteria, and thought "oh my god, I will lose so much damage, when the patch goes live". But what happened? I made slight changes, like slotting other skills, and continued to play as before. This tought me a lesson to ignore the doomsday preachers.
The post by the OP is a good example, as it takes numbers completely out of context. Very poor and transparent try to discredit a game.

Yes game ded, you win.
Can we move on?

Eve Online is carried by a loyal fanbase and is much smaller and is seen as successful by many.

ZOS has as good of, if not more of a loyal fanbase. With many more players.

too bad there's no downvote option

SPR_of_HA_community wrote: »

The best time for teso was 3 years ago. It had good balance and DID NOT change.

Now it looks like we play on some alpha test server really.

If no changes was made from those years it would feels much better, than it is now.

@SPR_of_HA_community

3 years ago, aka 2019 aka year of the dragon where we had whiplash dot changes patch to patch?