ESO's Monetization Feels Like It's Driving Players Away

WhiteScythe · April 2025

I love ESO, but the monetization—crown crates, pricey DLCs, and ESO+—feels overwhelming. The content pass, separate extras, and constant microtransactions confuse players and make it hard to stay engaged. Why can't everything be bundled into one clear, inclusive package? Can we discuss balancing this to keep players invested? @ZOS_GinaBruno

It feels like you are exploiting FOMO at this rate and it is not a good look.

ImmortalCX · April 2025

If they keep one whale for every two broke players, they are doing well.

I think their choices are dictated by that.

darvaria · April 2025

Put in an option that totals the amount a player has spent on this game. Not public of course but on that page that lists all of our transactions. Of course, I could add them up. But an accumulating total would be nice.

Malyore · April 2025

WhiteScythe wrote: »

I love ESO, but the monetization—crown crates, pricey DLCs, and ESO+—feels overwhelming. The content pass, separate extras, and constant microtransactions confuse players and make it hard to stay engaged. Why can't everything be bundled into one clear, inclusive package? Can we discuss balancing this to keep players invested? @ZOS_GinaBruno

It feels like you are exploiting FOMO at this rate and it is not a good look.

There aren't micro transactions in this game. There are macro transactions. It costs three story DLCs for a videogame house. It costs an entire story DLC to unlock an armor motif that already exists and is accessible in the game. And these story DLCs are like $50.

If cosmetics are the same price of (or more expensive than) a full fledged game transaction, then objectively I don't think they can be referred to as micro transactions.

AzuraFan · April 2025

ImmortalCX wrote: »

If they keep one whale for every two broke players, they are doing well.

I think their choices are dictated by that.

I haven't pre-ordered the content pass and might cancel my sub or go from annual to a month here and there. I'll change my mind if they offer a content pass that doesn't include the dungeons, or a discount to ESO+ subscribers.

It's not a matter of not being able to afford it. It's a matter of voting with my wallet because of ZOS double-dipping into subscribers' pockets.

Wing · April 2025

i do not recommend ESO to people i know looking for an MMO that respects their time and money.

i will leave it at that and leave it up to ESO if it wants to improve, or not, I'm fine with either, plenty out there.

robwolf666 · April 2025

It took me longer than I care to admit to make the connection between Crowns and real money, but when I did and I realised how much the Store stuff actually costs in real money, and what you get for that money, my Crown store purchases and ESO+ stopped immediately. All I'm willing to buy now are the full expansions, and even they are getting to the point where I'm questioning whether or not I'll continue purchasing in the future.

Ragnarok0130 · April 2025

Wing wrote: »

i do not recommend ESO to people i know looking for an MMO that respects their time and money.

i will leave it at that and leave it up to ESO if it wants to improve, or not, I'm fine with either, plenty out there.

Me too. I love this game and would love to recommend it to friends but the monetization and lack of rewards system prevents me from recommending it in good faith. Now if I didn't like someone....

Faulgor · April 2025

WhiteScythe wrote: »

Why can't everything be bundled into one clear, inclusive package?

It used to be. We called it ESO+.

When they moved from P2P to B2P and added the Crown store, ESO+ was the way to easily get access to everything the game offered, including a Crown stipend for the new store.
Then they added chapters, which in their view wasn't DLC and therefore not part of ESO+.
Then they added Crown Gems, which of course there was no stipend for included in ESO+, closing off the store to subscribers more than before.
Not to mention the ever increasing prices for stuff in the Crown store.
Then they stopped Q4 and Q3 DLC, so nothing to include in ESO+ there.
And now ... well.

Jaimeh · April 2025

I agree with you OP; by adding the dungeons to the pass they are essentially double dipping on our wallets, so we are paying more for essentially the same things, and even as a big housing enthusiast, I don't think the vault is worth it, so if I buy the pass, I will drop the sub. I really dislike the new model, it's not just about the price increase, it's about how they are locking away options for getting access to content.

BenTSG · April 2025

Yeaaaah, I'm not a fan of the monitization in the game. Hell, even if they *just* removed Crown Crates and just put everything into the store as their own item I would be very happy with, at least you can get what you want rather then drop double the cost of something normally because RNG is screwing you. I've been off ESO+ since before the release of Necrom of which I had been on it non stop since I got hooked on the game 9 years ago because I am unhappy with both the direction of the game and it's monitization methods. Watching the reveal for this years Season had me excited like I always get, but thanks to members on the forum I've quickly realised just how little it actually offers, even for me as a non ESO+ member, to purchase.

Still, I'd wager it's only gotten worse since it all started, I doubt it's going to change for the better any time soon.