The game is very expensive. You are not only competition with MMOs but other genres as well.

Anilahation · January 8

Let's check the new ESO model. ESO+ $15, 3 Battle passes $60 which is $270.

If WoW or FFXIV release an expansion WoW $230 and FFXIV $220

Then there's RuneScape that's $168

These are all non bulk buys, so you are just simply subbed every month

Then if we look at idk PoE2 that is $40, has microtransactions, gets new content every 3 months ($40)

Diablo 4 that is $40+$40 for the most recent expansion and they get a new season every few months then charging you $10 for the battle pass 2025 had 5 seasons so thats $130 for all the Diablo 4 content annually give or take... so you still have $140 you could spend on super expensive $25 skins if you wanted.

Marvel Rivals selling $10 battle pass and individual cosmetics.

Fortnite crew being $11 a month, that gives you access to the current battle pass and exclusive crew rewards.

The main thing i'm getting at is, while I love ESO it needs to charge according to the market and its price tag hardly matches with what its competitors are offering at lower price yields.

I think the price for ESO+ should be $15 a month to match its competitor and every 5 months should give you a battle pass "token" making $ESO annual price $210 which is still cheaper than its competitors but you have the crown crates and other microtransactions to make up for that $10-$20 difference)

duagloth · January 8

Where winds meet- free

TheMajority · January 8

there's people that spends more on coffee and lunch in a week than the total cost of ESO+ and a premium battle pass

spartaxoxo · January 8

ESO's new content will be free. So, if you're focused on gameplay, it will be cheaper than the games charging for content. The Battlepass is just optional cosmetics. Basically, what a lot of games replaced crown crates with tbh.

Anilahation · January 8

spartaxoxo wrote: »

it will be cheaper than the games charging for content.

that's the thing PoE,D4, WoW and FFXIV aren't charging for content anyways either. Sure wow is charging for Midnight but that expansion will hold you over for the next 2 years they wont ask for another xpac box price only the sub.

spartaxoxo · January 8

Anilahation wrote: »

spartaxoxo wrote: »

it will be cheaper than the games charging for content.

that's the thing PoE,D4, WoW and FFXIV aren't charging for content anyways either. Sure wow is charging for Midnight but that expansion will hold you over for the next 2 years they wont ask for another xpac box price only the sub.

WoW and FFXIX for sure charge for content. Those subs are not optional. D4 is charging for its upcoming expansion as well. IDK about PoE as I've never played that game but the other three absolutely are charging for content.

TheMajority · January 8

Anilahation wrote: »

spartaxoxo wrote: »

it will be cheaper than the games charging for content.

that's the thing PoE,D4, WoW and FFXIV aren't charging for content anyways either. Sure wow is charging for Midnight but that expansion will hold you over for the next 2 years they wont ask for another xpac box price only the sub.

They for sure charge for content, you get locked from your characters and account if you don't pay the sub EVEN IF you bought the game itself.

Anilahation · January 8

TheMajority wrote: »

Anilahation wrote: »

spartaxoxo wrote: »

it will be cheaper than the games charging for content.

that's the thing PoE,D4, WoW and FFXIV aren't charging for content anyways either. Sure wow is charging for Midnight but that expansion will hold you over for the next 2 years they wont ask for another xpac box price only the sub.

They for sure charge for content, you get locked from your characters and account if you don't pay the sub EVEN IF you bought the game itself.

So the argument is $0 eso if you don't buy eso+ and don't buy battle pass versus the required sub for those games.

That is the problem though, spending money on eso with that argument doesn't necessarily give you more than what you get from wow or ffxiv.

Gabriel_H · January 8

Anilahation wrote: »

Let's check the new ESO model. ESO+ $15, 3 Battle passes $60 which is $270.

Flawed premise. You won't need a Battle Pass to access content, only cosmetics.

Estin · January 8

The battle pass is just going to be cosmetics, right? You don't have to buy it if you don't want the fancier ones. The free version would be enough if you're not too much into them. That leaves ESO going forward $180/y if just have ESO+ month to month since all new content is now free. It's $140/y if you buy annually. For reference, WoW is $156/y for annually, and the same for FF14. Mind you still have to purchase the new expansions I think. I don't know, I don't play either so don't know how their subs work. Either way, ESO is cheaper, especially since it will now have free content updates.

If you also buy the premium battle pass, you technically only need to buy 3 for $45 if you wait til your 12th month of your subscription to buy the current pass for free, which brings ESO to $185/y total, and since the average price for a FF14 expansion is $40 putting it at $196/y, and WoW being $50 putting it at $206/y, ESO is still the cheapest. ESO isn't even the most expensive if you get all 4 battle passes per year. Depending on if you are given the free premium+ battle pass upon purchasing an annual subscription, you will only need to buy 3 premium+ battle passes a year which is $90 putting ESO at $230/y. WoW's epic edition is $90 and can be comparable to premium+ since it gives more unique cosmetics, and that will put it at $246/y. FF14's most expensive digital option is $60 putting it at $216 which is definitely cheaper but only by $14 compared to ESO being $16 cheaper than WoW.

It's up to you to judge the price per content received, but this year is looking pretty stacked with all the new reworks, systems, and game features. A lot more than previous years. For reference, ESO with chapters was $190/y, so it's actually $5 cheaper if you want more cosmetics.

And this should remain true even if you did month to month. You're technically still only buying 3 battle passes a year, and since ESO, WoW, and FF14 are all $180/y month to month, it's only $45/y for the battle pass compared to FF14's $40 expansions and WoW's $50 expansions.

Runescape is still the cheapest overall, but I wouldn't compare it to MMOs like FF14/WoW/ESO because it's not even the same style. That game is a point and click with 1 style. There's no tank or healer roles.

Anilahation · January 8

Yeah this is a good point, all eso content bar the old DLC is now free

xXCJsniperXx7 · January 8

I'd rather buy creations in Skyrim than this new battle pass...

Seraphayel · January 8

You can play this game for free after you bought the base game which already contains a ton of stuff. You neither have to pay for ESO+ nor the seasons / battle passes. I really don't understand how anyone can say that this game is very expensive when new content going forward will always be free.

Anilahation wrote: »

spartaxoxo wrote: »

it will be cheaper than the games charging for content.

that's the thing PoE,D4, WoW and FFXIV aren't charging for content anyways either. Sure wow is charging for Midnight but that expansion will hold you over for the next 2 years they wont ask for another xpac box price only the sub.

What? Without paying 13 bucks a month you can't even access those games.

Lugaldu · January 8

spartaxoxo wrote: »

ESO's new content will be free. So, if you're focused on gameplay, it will be cheaper than the games charging for content. The Battlepass is just optional cosmetics. Basically, what a lot of games replaced crown crates with tbh.

I'm just wondering if there's any reason for me, as a story-driven player, left to even play the game anymore, because right now it looks like new story and questing content will be extremely meager. Personally, there's no incentive for me to log in for some limited-time event where I end up with yet another differently colored mount that doesn't interest me. I already don't know what to do in ESO anymore. I've completed all the quests, own almost all the houses, and all that's ever excited me about ESO was the anticipation and enjoyment of new areas and stories.

Gadamlub14_ESO · January 8

spartaxoxo wrote: »

ESO's new content will be free. So, if you're focused on gameplay, it will be cheaper than the games charging for content. The Battlepass is just optional cosmetics. Basically, what a lot of games replaced crown crates with tbh.

neat, i'll keep an eye out for that new free content *checks roadmap* in 2027 when we might finally get it. because this year its just a trial and this night market pve battleground thing that might be here more than twice before being gone forever.

Jaimeh · January 8

I see a lot of the 'but the battlepass is only for cosmetics' argument, and that since content will be free, things will be cheaper for the players, but then but how do people suppose the game will be financed? We've already had playable content shrinkage the last few years with paid expansions, this is going to be intensified going forwards. I'm happy to pay for well-designed, immersive content with a host of good voice acting and music, that gives me many hours of playtime, than have small free updates here and there with the option of paying for cosmetics. How do you think this free content will compare to what we got in the past (and you can bet the starting seasons will be meatier to sweeten the pot, as it always happens with things in ESO, but then decrease). I want to support the game and get quality content in return, and I'd rather they charged for this instead of putting their resources into cosmetics.

Poss · January 8

Isn’t the battle pass just full of cosmetic items?

Don’t want to pay $30 then don’t?

Estin · January 8

Jaimeh wrote: »

I see a lot of the 'but the battlepass is only for cosmetics' argument, and that since content will be free, things will be cheaper for the players, but then but how do people suppose the game will be financed? We've already had playable content shrinkage the last few years with paid expansions, this is going to be intensified going forwards. I'm happy to pay for well-designed, immersive content with a host of good voice acting and music, that gives me many hours of playtime, than have small free updates here and there with the option of paying for cosmetics. How do you think this free content will compare to what we got in the past (and you can bet the starting seasons will be meatier to sweeten the pot, as it always happens with things in ESO, but then decrease). I want to support the game and get quality content in return, and I'd rather they charged for this instead of putting their resources into cosmetics.

The same way it already has, ESO+ and Crown Store, and the same as any buy once game model with free DLC and a seasonal passes with only cosmetics. People will buy it if they want the items.

Muizer · January 8

Poss wrote: »

Isn’t the battle pass just full of cosmetic items?

Don’t want to pay $30 then don’t?

True. More worried about what that's going to mean for where ZOS efforts are going to be in the future..... think about it.

Gadamlub14_ESO · January 8

Poss wrote: »

Isn’t the battle pass just full of cosmetic items?

Don’t want to pay $30 then don’t?

thats also where all your endevors, daily login rewards, and holiday tickets are going. i'd bet 10k crowns that the "free" ones are going to be miniscule compared to the rest, or an unholy painful grind for the free ones. maybe both. you forget this is zenimax that charges us 10$ if we want to change our characters hair color

Gabriel_H · January 8

Gadamlub14_ESO wrote: »

Poss wrote: »

Isn’t the battle pass just full of cosmetic items?

Don’t want to pay $30 then don’t?

thats also where all your endevors, daily login rewards, and holiday tickets are going. i'd bet 10k crowns that the "free" ones are going to be miniscule compared to the rest, or an unholy painful grind for the free ones. maybe both. you forget this is zenimax that charges us 10$ if we want to change our characters hair color

Endevors aren't going anywhere, they are just being renamed "Seals" and there will be quests/activities to earn them like now.
Daily login rewards, well hardly valuable are they?!
Holiday tickets are being replaced, but the replacement will be earned like they are now, plus extra sources by the sounds of it.

moderatelyfatman · January 8

Guild Wars 2, Latest Expansion: $USD25 full price
The content gets released over 9 months but you get:
- 4 new zones
- New mount skills
- new dungeon
- new trial
- new Convergence (50 player private dungeon instance with Events)

Gabriel_H · January 8

moderatelyfatman wrote: »

Guild Wars 2, Latest Expansion: $USD25 full price
The content gets released over 9 months but you get:
- 4 new zones
- New mount skills
- new dungeon
- new trial
- new Convergence (50 player private dungeon instance with Events)

ESO, Lastest Expansion: $0

New Zone
New Trial
Three New World Events of different types
New System
New Reward System
New Overland Difficulty

The question is: How many hours gameplay does $25 buy you vs how many hours gameplay does $0 buy you?

spartaxoxo · January 8

Gadamlub14_ESO wrote: »

spartaxoxo wrote: »

ESO's new content will be free. So, if you're focused on gameplay, it will be cheaper than the games charging for content. The Battlepass is just optional cosmetics. Basically, what a lot of games replaced crown crates with tbh.

neat, i'll keep an eye out for that new free content *checks roadmap* in 2027 when we might finally get it. because this year its just a trial and this night market pve battleground thing that might be here more than twice before being gone forever.

There will be quest content, they just haven't even gone into it yet. Quest content usually gets explained in Quarter 2, and quarter 1 is usually a dungeon. Night Market sounds like an interesting change up from the dungeon to me but I can appreciate its not everyone's cup of tea. We know stories are not structured like a zone but we also do know it's coming. The Thieves Guild and Sheogorath stuff has potential to be interesting, even with the lack of new zone, imo.

Gabriel_H · January 8

Gadamlub14_ESO wrote: »

spartaxoxo wrote: »

ESO's new content will be free. So, if you're focused on gameplay, it will be cheaper than the games charging for content. The Battlepass is just optional cosmetics. Basically, what a lot of games replaced crown crates with tbh.

neat, i'll keep an eye out for that new free content *checks roadmap* in 2027 when we might finally get it. because this year its just a trial and this night market pve battleground thing that might be here more than twice before being gone forever.

Try looking at the 2026 roadmap instead, because you missed a whole bunch of content.

Gadamlub14_ESO · January 8

Gabriel_H wrote: »

Gadamlub14_ESO wrote: »

spartaxoxo wrote: »

ESO's new content will be free. So, if you're focused on gameplay, it will be cheaper than the games charging for content. The Battlepass is just optional cosmetics. Basically, what a lot of games replaced crown crates with tbh.

neat, i'll keep an eye out for that new free content *checks roadmap* in 2027 when we might finally get it. because this year its just a trial and this night market pve battleground thing that might be here more than twice before being gone forever.

Try looking at the 2026 roadmap instead, because you missed a whole bunch of content.

yeah i missed a whole bunch of new content that doesnt exist or is just reskins of old stuff and qol and class changes they should listened to us years ago about.

where is the new zone? new dungeons? new lore? this is significantly less than even last years stuff.

spartaxoxo · January 8

Gadamlub14_ESO wrote: »

Gabriel_H wrote: »

Gadamlub14_ESO wrote: »

spartaxoxo wrote: »

ESO's new content will be free. So, if you're focused on gameplay, it will be cheaper than the games charging for content. The Battlepass is just optional cosmetics. Basically, what a lot of games replaced crown crates with tbh.

neat, i'll keep an eye out for that new free content *checks roadmap* in 2027 when we might finally get it. because this year its just a trial and this night market pve battleground thing that might be here more than twice before being gone forever.

Try looking at the 2026 roadmap instead, because you missed a whole bunch of content.

yeah i missed a whole bunch of new content that doesnt exist or is just reskins of old stuff and qol and class changes they should listened to us years ago about.

where is the new zone? new dungeons? new lore? this is significantly less than even last years stuff.

No new dungeon this year. New lore will be coming. They said they're not ready to discuss if there will be a zone in 2026. Maybe. Whatever it is won't be like a chapter but we don't know how the stories will be yet.

H3rBie · January 8

not sure but when I read this post https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/comment/8410520/#Comment_8410520 it looks like that other stuff is planned aswell.

spartaxoxo · January 8

H3rBie wrote: »

not sure but when I read this post https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/comment/8410520/#Comment_8410520 it looks like that other stuff is planned aswell.

Is there no new normal zone coming to Elder Scrolls Online in 2026?

Nick Giacomini: We're not quite ready to talk about that right now. There might be.

They also said this in that wcc interview. I get the impression that it's less that we'll get nothing and more that they're not ready to discuss it yet. We know whatever we get won't be structured the same as a chapter but we don't know much beyond that. We'll know more in the future. Which is typical. Q2 is historically when we get the meat of the information on stories. No idea what will happen this year.

MincMincMinc · January 8

Gabriel_H wrote: »

moderatelyfatman wrote: »

Guild Wars 2, Latest Expansion: $USD25 full price
The content gets released over 9 months but you get:
- 4 new zones
- New mount skills
- new dungeon
- new trial
- new Convergence (50 player private dungeon instance with Events)

ESO, Lastest Expansion: $0
New Zone

New Trial

Three New World Events of different types

New System

New Reward System

New Overland Difficulty

The question is: How many hours gameplay does $25 buy you vs how many hours gameplay does $0 buy you?

Well said, but for years the problem has been that zos put all this effort in, but 90% of the new content is starter zone difficulty. Why do we think the only endgame pve is goofy dungeon challenges and trial hardmodes etc.

Just go back in time and imagine if all of eso content was as difficult as craglorn was or the other original dlc zones. Instead of zos fluffing up the UI and daily logins and boring daily fetch chore quests, zos could have had the content more difficult and incentivized people to actually enjoy playing the game.

0$ content that was designed for toddlers means nothing to anyone who realistically plays the game daily. It is going to take many releases with truly difficult content for the "why pay for anything" concept to go away. People have been paying for years and years of nothing burgers. Probably why so many people talk like zos is indebted to them.

Gabriel_H · January 8

Gadamlub14_ESO wrote: »

yeah i missed a whole bunch of new content that doesnt exist or is just reskins of old stuff and qol and class changes they should listened to us years ago about.

where is the new zone? new dungeons? new lore? this is significantly less than even last years stuff.

Ok, not to be that guy but:

1: New zone, requiring new lore to explain it
2: New stories, requiring the addition of new lore
3: A new game system, requiring new lore
4: A new group event system, requiring new lore
5: A new type of event, requiring new lore
6: A new trial, requiring new lore
7: A new world event, requring new lore

I'm disappointed there is no dungeon this year, but ZOS' new model, and time can still alter that. But to say there is nothing new? To complain "just ... qol and class changes they should listened to us years ago about." while ignoring they are listening now? Really?!