Given the issues this year, will you pre-order in 2026?

QB1 · October 30

I will definitely pre-order regardless

Lucjan wrote: »

I will buy regardless, just to support the devs. A game this size they need at last a year, more likely even 12-18 months for a course correction after team size reductions and leadership change. All that we are seeing content-wise now and most of us don't seem to like a lot has been in the works for a long time, there just wasn't time to change course and given the situation at ZOS they couldn't just trash it and start from scratch.

Same. Been playing since release, this game has been a huge part of my life. I will support the team and the game. And this is coming from someone who logs in and goes straight to cryodiil everyday 🥲

Jinazai · October 30

I’m not ordering anything else - I’m done - what a mess!

Soo when will i be allowed to play the rest of the game i payed for. Oh i just need to wait for an abitrary % of the event to be finished by other people. This is so stupid. fu zeni.

The amount of content released for this chapter is less than some free updates in other games.
They force us to pay extra for dungeons we would have access to though eso+ anyway.

So no, this is a complete dealbreaker for me. I have no more intrest in playing this game. Everytime i log on i become annoyed by dumb ***. This is no longer a roleplaying game, it's a dollhouse where the only purpose is to collect and buy cosmetics in the store. Cosmetics for your house that you bought for more than the cost of a whole game, you can only decorate in a meaningful way if you pay even more every month...

The game is no longer a game, and their business model is built and geared for greed.

I've played since launch and spent a ton of money on the game over the years.

Hotdog_23 · October 30

Don’t Know

So tired of just “wait,” great things are coming, but we can’t talk about it or the FOMO. I still love ESO but I am leaning heavily toward not buying any more crowns or expansions until I see some proof that the game is going to be expanded on positively.

Play daily, but this content year I find I am only logging on to do the endeavors and an event dailies and then off. If there's no event, really just do endeavors and then off. As the story content just seems so small this year and uninteresting to me. This year has been a big failure for me. All I hear about is the wall, which is so underwhelming for me, and vengeance, which I could care less about. BG's ruined by 2 teams. Don't even play them anymore.

Starting to question why I even log in to do the daily endeavors. May switch to a seasonal player as I am losing interest in ESO. I blame it on the lack of good content that I care about. Really miss the “real” quarterly updates. I can tell they have cut back on content for the last several years. I know some people are turned off by the recent changes of subclassing, but honestly, I really like it. If anything, that is what has kept me even playing this year.

They really need to bring it next year for me personally. Also, if I switch to a seasonal player, I will also drop ESO Plus that I have kept up since console launch. What would be the point of Plus if I am not playing daily?

I really do hope they bring it, and I get excited, but I have lost faith in ESO to wow me. They revived and saved themselves once before. Hope they can find that same magic again.

Stay safe

Ezhh · October 30

I will only order after launch when I can see what I’m buying

I've already dropped ESO+ for a combo of different things ranging from the 2025 content (or lack of) to abysmal customer support when things go wrong. Next year I plan to move to only buying new content when it's on sale as well.

Carlos93 · October 30

I’m not ordering anything else - I’m done - what a mess!

It's not worth spending money on its content.

There have been many problems since the game's release, and they haven't fixed them.

There's nothing to do in the game (like running businesses in GTA V, managing a tavern and having customers, buying a sawmill and exporting resources for gold, owning a mine and making a profit, etc.). The events are based on doing repetitive and boring missions.

They haven't fixed the map of the Tamriel continent to add more areas.
They keep adding islands that shouldn't be on the Tamriel continent.

They could make new maps, for example, a map called "Sea of Ghosts" to add new areas.

And much more.

AScarlato · October 30

Don’t Know

I voted "Don't Know." Throughout the year I heard the next one may have something to do with Dark Brotherhood; if so I probably will. If not I'll see what the story concept is.

I still don't have Solstice as I'm not super interested in the concept of the story, but I do like Gabrielle so maybe I'll get it soon. I didn't pre-order though as I don't really trust season models and it felt like less content. So waiting on a sale.

jle30303 · October 30

I will probably pre-order but yet to decide

Right now the biggest complaint I have about Phase 2 is that it is just not DIFFERENT enough.

One mini quest. "Go to place, talk to person, read 1 document, come back, talk to 1 person".

Minor changes to the dailies we were already doing... but they're the same ones, over and over.

Lightweight Furs replaced by Heavyweight Furs, for example, or Undead Essence by Undead Ichor... BUT, dropped from the same monsters in the same places. Maybe the drop rate is a little kinder, after all the complaints about previously, or maybe I was just lucky, BUT, they are exactly the same thing, namely "Renamed Quest Coupons".

Gather 15 Vitrified Souls hasn't even changed.

Nor has Beat 1 Siege Camp - though it is said these have been made a bit harder (they had better scale back down again when the event is over, because the bosses there are just too difficult for the level of population that's likely to be there *next* year when it isn't the newest thing.)

More importantly, what they need to do is FIX THE LAG. Make it so that players do not go from 60 fps to 3 spf. (yes, that latter "spf" is intentional, "seconds per frame" is what I get.)

Give us something DIFFERENT to do. That tiny level of quest is, frankly, an insult.

Honestly, I'd rather be watching paint dry.

Or playing my other characters in other content that they haven't all done yet, although my main has done everything. I'd rather be taking my 3rd character through Necrom, which is the bit she's just reached: or my 4th through Blackwood, which is what *he* is doing right now...

But if I do that, then by *not* doing The Same Old Boring Things Over And Over, I'm making the progress bar go more slowly.

And two weeks is already too long to have been doing The Same Old Boring Things Over And Over, and I am not looking forward to another two weeks of it.

AvalonRanger · October 31

Don’t Know

Just bring it back to the old DLC style.

jetplane_18 · October 31

Didn't vote because the responses don't match my experience

Not pre-ordering because duh have you seen this industry's track record lmao

DreadKnight · October 31

I’m not ordering anything else - I’m done - what a mess!

Hell no.

rsciw · October 31

I will only order after launch when I can see what I’m buying

Undecided between order after launch (when on sale) or not at all anymore, for the purpose of the poll took the "after launch" option, but have to see.

What would sway me more towards an order (after launch):
- If there's a Bosmer storyline
- If the ridiculously low housing item limit gets raised, at least triple of the current limit. 700 items in a notable house is not enough.

What would influence me against ordering:
- If the sale price still includes items that are already covered by ESO+
- More character / class destroying systems such as the current sad attempt of multi-classing (even if it's for base game too)
- Another event to open up a zone, requiring server population to do stuff (e.g. writhing wall)
- If I still get lost lobby connections several times a day during busier periods. What's the point playing the game if you can't stay logged in.

twisttop138 · October 31

I will only order after launch when I can see what I’m buying

I have pre ordered every chapter. Even on a multi year break, I still pre ordered. After being blown away with wrothgar, Morrowind, clockwork city, Summerset etc. I never felt that I wouldn't get more than my monies worth. I've been back 7 months now after a break of a few years. I of course pre ordered the Solstice chapter even after some misgivings. To be completely honest I'm extremely disappointed. Those great dlcs I mentioned above? Whoever made solstice should be ashamed to follow those with this. Reskinned. Lore out of whack. Event giving spoilers. Very few side quests. The worst chapter event in the games history. The trial, while fun, was mostly old bosses thrown together. Just very poor.

Where we're going is even worse. People are wanting to see what we're getting next year. I understand. They already told us though. They want to revisit old zones with new stories. This was a transition year. I don't think there will be new zones at all. We will get maybe 3 months long seasons. The next is dark brotherhood. There will be a new threat. We will gather in gold coast. We will track the threat to old zones and old delves where new storylines will be. That's it. Probably tasks along the way will give us rewards. Like say fallout 76 but with a little more questing.

I would love to be proven wrong. I want the letter this year to blow me away but I'm sick to death of hearing "oh my God we CANNOT WAIT to show you what we've got cooking over here!!!!!!!!!" Just keep waiting. Don't worry, we're gonna show you soon. Soon. We can't tell you Tee hee hee. But trust us. Just keep playing. Keep paying. You don't want us to end up like NW right?

I love the game. So much so that I'll be here probably till the servers shut down. But maybe that's the problem. They know enough if us won't vote with our wallet.

reazea · October 31

I will only order after launch when I can see what I’m buying

LPapirius wrote: »

I did not purchase the 2025 content pass, and I won't until it's on sale for $15-20 next year. From what I've seen that's what the content is worth, so that's what I'll pay, or I'll go without.

The FOMO is dead and gone for me and I blame the marketing practices for the apathy.

This is my feeling as well. I'll buy new content, but not at anywhere near the prices ZOS is asking, not given the quantity and quality of the new content.

AzuraFan · October 31

Don’t Know

rsciw wrote: »

What would influence me against ordering:
- If the sale price still includes items that are already covered by ESO+

If they pull that crap again, I'll cancel ESO+ and likely quit.

- More character / class destroying systems such as the current sad attempt of multi-classing (even if it's for base game too)

I want to see that the new leadership team has some sense of direction for the game and isn't just throwing stuff out there without much thought. That's why they need to start dishing about the cool stuff they're working on, so I (we) can get a sense of where this game is going.

agelonestar · November 1

I will only order after launch when I can see what I’m buying

I wonder if anyone at ZoS will acknowledge that 2025 has been a very unpopular mess - Writhing Wall very much included.

@ZOS_Kevin what is the view at ZoS Towers?

DenverRalphy · November 1

agelonestar wrote: »

I wonder if anyone at ZoS will acknowledge that 2025 has been a very unpopular mess - Writhing Wall very much included.

@ZOS_Kevin what is the view at ZoS Towers?

That will never happen. A zombie-pocalypse level media feeding frenzy would be all over it. It would be a marketing nightmare. Heads would roll. And there'd be backlash on future developoment.

I'm sure everyone at ZOS are licking their wounds, and trying to ascertain where it all went wrong. No need to stick cameras in there face.

Usually the only time you'll see a gaming company acknowledge their missteps is further down the line after a future successfull year/quarter/release/etc.. with statements like "We really took a hard look at our past missteps to learn from them and improve.. yadda yadda yadda."

MorallyBipolar · November 1

DenverRalphy wrote: »

agelonestar wrote: »

I wonder if anyone at ZoS will acknowledge that 2025 has been a very unpopular mess - Writhing Wall very much included.

@ZOS_Kevin what is the view at ZoS Towers?

That will never happen. A zombie-pocalypse level media feeding frenzy would be all over it. It would be a marketing nightmare. Heads would roll. And there'd be backlash on future developoment.

I'm sure everyone at ZOS are licking their wounds, and trying to ascertain where it all went wrong. No need to stick cameras in there face.

Usually the only time you'll see a gaming company acknowledge their missteps is further down the line after a future successfull year/quarter/release/etc.. with statements like "We really took a hard look at our past missteps to learn from them and improve.. yadda yadda yadda."

True. But a company can and should course correct even if it's without acknowledging fault.

ectoplasmicninja · November 1

I've been playing for eight or nine years now, have two accounts, have had a sub the vast majority of the time, for most of it played daily, and have pre-ordered all the chapters and this year's season pass. For 2026, I will let my sub lapse and I will be checking the PTS thoroughly to vet the content before I commit to further expenditure. Sigh.

Castagere · November 1

I’m not ordering anything else - I’m done - what a mess!

I conclude that after quitting and coming back to the game many times, I really am done. Don't like this season pass crap or events that give crappy rewards for doing them. This game has turned a big corner for me. I thought I would get into the new zones, but I find it to be just another area to do the same stuff over and over again. And not feeling Microsoft as an owner. These big corporations buying up game companies are going to be bad for the players. You may not believe it now, but you will.

WinifredWillow · November 1

I will only order after launch when I can see what I’m buying

This year has been lack luster and bare bones and honestly a bit disappointing. I know that the team is going through changes and things are being switched up so I'm not placing all the blame on them. However, they should have known that after years of getting new content on a regular schedule that makes the player base excited-that they would try to throw some stuff our way to keep us excited for future content (instead of trying to hype up this wall event that is anything but hype worthy). This is the first time I have not been 100% on board with future content and willing to preorder. If we are getting more stuff like this wall event, I will have to pass. I'll wait until it's added to ESO+.

DenverRalphy · November 1

WinifredWillow wrote: »

This year has been lack luster and bare bones and honestly a bit disappointing. I know that the team is going through changes and things are being switched up so I'm not placing all the blame on them. However, they should have known that after years of getting new content on a regular schedule that makes the player base excited-that they would try to throw some stuff our way to keep us excited for future content (instead of trying to hype up this wall event that is anything but hype worthy). This is the first time I have not been 100% on board with future content and willing to preorder. If we are getting more stuff like this wall event, I will have to pass. I'll wait until it's added to ESO+.

Pretty much this.

I get that this is a Transitional Year for ESO and its development. However what I can't discern is why instead of acting to seek Good Will from its playerbase to get through it, they instead chose to charge more fore the privelege of receiving less. That in a nutshell is what has made me unhappy as a customer.

cuddles_with_wroble · November 1

I’m not ordering anything else - I’m done - what a mess!

the way some of you can delude yourself into having genuine faith is incredible to me and i respect it even tho i think your insane

Chrisilis · November 1

I will probably pre-order but yet to decide

Ill probably pre-order, partly because I'm a sucker but mostly because I've not grown bored of it yet, issues notwithstanding.

That being said, never in my life have I been so frustrated at a companies uncommunicative stonewalling silence towards its customers. I started playing this for the open world rpg but I fell in love with this game for its Battlegrounds. I loved the challenge and the competition. I had never PvP'd before and was instantly hooked. In just under three years I'm coming up on 7000 hours in this game, time spent in Battlegrounds.

And what did they do? They ******* broke it. And then what did they do? They ignored us when we told them they broke it, they ignored us when we asked for it back and they continue to ignore us to this day. I'm half convinced they're ******* up PvP on purpose to drive out the player base so they'll have an excuse to shut it down entirely.

So. I probably will pre-order and continue to get by on two team Battlegrounds but I'm really only sticking around in the hopes that someday ill get to play the game I fell in love with again.

Warhawke_80 · November 1

I’m not ordering anything else - I’m done - what a mess!

I just find MMO's boring lately and the reason is very simple...Most software devs want to lead you by the hand and show you all of their wondrous creations...

Problem is in reality the content it's trite and pedantic....It's not a world you can lose yourself in....Just grind dailies and listen to the same Voice lines playing in repeat ad nauseum.

Maybe in Twenty Years technology will give us a Real MMO where the NPC's feel real and you get totally invested in the story.

ESO just isn't that anymore...maye it never was.

Sarannah · November 1

I will probably pre-order but yet to decide

Yes, because after seeing what happened with NW(and some other MMO's), there is no way I can imagine ESO going the same route of ever being taken offline. Would rather pay a little more, than lose my main entertainment entirely.

PS: Not saying ESO is perfect, but it is still the best MMO!

cuddles_with_wroble wrote: »

the way some of you can delude yourself into having genuine faith is incredible to me and i respect it even tho i think your insane

I will take that as a compliment!

o_Primate_o · November 1

I will only order after launch when I can see what I’m buying

If it's another "do four quests six times each per day per toon", I'm def not unless the trial is fire.

redlink1979 · 10:38AM

Don’t Know

At this point, after seeing what phase 2 is all about I'm very reluctant.