Maintenance for the week of January 12:
• PC/Mac: No maintenance – January 12
• ESO Store and Account System for maintenance – January 13, 9:00AM EST (14:00 UTC) - 12:00PM EST (17:00 UTC)
The maintenance is complete, and the PTS is now back online and patch U49 (11.3.0) is available.
Update 49 is now available for testing on the PTS! You can read the latest patch notes here: https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/categories/pts

ESO PTS Update

  • Techwolf_Lupindo
    Techwolf_Lupindo
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    Yes, template pain points - especially the time needed for set-up, like you mention - are also something we're aware of and investigating options to improve them.

    While I have not done a full build on PTS for a very long time, I have log into PTS to make sure things works on Linux.

    To make full build far easier, a full template character should have full collections(sticker book) AND full crafting bag. This is so one can just go to the transmute station and create the build they need right there and then without having to dig though coffers/containers for about an hour looking for that one item missing from there new build.
    Edited by Techwolf_Lupindo on January 10, 2026 8:19AM
  • Aliniel
    Aliniel
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    More promises. That's all this post is. Time will tell as always. And so far it never bore fruit.
  • ESO_Nightingale
    ESO_Nightingale
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    Radiate77 wrote: »
    Am i still cool to post my frost warden feedback notes? Does anyone still read those?

    I still read them, @ESO_Nightingale.

    ZOS would be wise to deep dive into your old threads leading up to our Winter’s Embrace rework.

    Ill keep on posting them then. Thanks.
    PvE Frost Warden Main and teacher. Come Join the ESO Frost Discord to discuss everything frost!: https://discord.gg/5PT3rQX
  • shadoza
    shadoza
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    Soarora wrote: »
    I’m glad to hear that our pain points are being addressed with such precise communication! My biggest pain point though is still how time consuming it is to set up a character on the PTS (such as having to dig through boxes to get crystals and upgrade mats, dig through boxes to unlock sets, dig through boxes to get a house, dig through the crown store for a merchant and a transmute station, sell all the basic gear to the merchant, reconstruct all the gear, while spamming the transmute crystal…). I’m very much hoping this gets addressed at some point this year.

    I do not understand what boxes you are referencing. I started three knew characters on the PTS, one for each alliance, and didn't have anything to start. No boxes to open. Am I missing something or have the set up change since you last created a character?
  • BasP
    BasP
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    shadoza wrote: »
    Soarora wrote: »
    I’m glad to hear that our pain points are being addressed with such precise communication! My biggest pain point though is still how time consuming it is to set up a character on the PTS (such as having to dig through boxes to get crystals and upgrade mats, dig through boxes to unlock sets, dig through boxes to get a house, dig through the crown store for a merchant and a transmute station, sell all the basic gear to the merchant, reconstruct all the gear, while spamming the transmute crystal…). I’m very much hoping this gets addressed at some point this year.

    I do not understand what boxes you are referencing. I started three knew characters on the PTS, one for each alliance, and didn't have anything to start. No boxes to open. Am I missing something or have the set up change since you last created a character?

    When you create a new character, there's a drop down menu in the top left corner and you need to select the 3600CP template.

    2qm9pxhru8jx.png

    Your character will then have boxes that contain all of the gear sets, consumables, Scribing supplies et cetera.
    ewornxnkf5mz.png
  • ceruulean
    ceruulean
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    Nice thread, glad to see some insight in the PTS process. I believe ESO+ crafting bag should be enabled for PTS accounts. Otherwise, once the mats fill your inventory, it's too annoying to setup a character. I participated in PTS once when I had the sub, but trying it again after my sub ran out, I couldn't be bothered to test anything when my inventory became inaccessible.

    There's a few different types of testing, so it would be great to be clear on the difference between Alpha and Beta tests. Currently, the PTS serves as a Beta test, where voice lines and translations are already done. Beta tests are when most of the content is ready to be shipped, and a few tweaks are the only changes left in scope. Beta tests are typically open to the public, while Alpha tests are closed. Because alpha versions lack polish and their quality is below the standard of what the public expects, companies typically select certain/trusted people who can provide relevant feedback. It would be nice to know: who is doing alpha testing other than the ZOS employees? In the past, there were class reps. I don't know the details, but I would assume they were invited to alpha releases. Now, who's there?

    Second, there probably needs to be guiding questions for feedback. Giving a blank textbox will cause people to go on tangents. Usually a basic bug report has the following asks:

    1. What's the issue?
    2. Expected Result
    3. Actual Result
    4. Screenshots, videos, text, other proof
    5. How do you reproduce the issue?
  • shadoza
    shadoza
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    BasP wrote: »
    shadoza wrote: »
    Soarora wrote: »
    I’m glad to hear that our pain points are being addressed with such precise communication! My biggest pain point though is still how time consuming it is to set up a character on the PTS (such as having to dig through boxes to get crystals and upgrade mats, dig through boxes to unlock sets, dig through boxes to get a house, dig through the crown store for a merchant and a transmute station, sell all the basic gear to the merchant, reconstruct all the gear, while spamming the transmute crystal…). I’m very much hoping this gets addressed at some point this year.

    I do not understand what boxes you are referencing. I started three knew characters on the PTS, one for each alliance, and didn't have anything to start. No boxes to open. Am I missing something or have the set up change since you last created a character?

    When you create a new character, there's a drop down menu in the top left corner and you need to select the 3600CP template.

    2qm9pxhru8jx.png

    Your character will then have boxes that contain all of the gear sets, consumables, Scribing supplies et cetera.
    ewornxnkf5mz.png

    Thank you for responding. I didn't purchase the Solstice so I paid that part no attention. I will go back and try again with my next character, however, I cannot imagine a maxed out character to be much fun.
  • Turtle_Bot
    Turtle_Bot
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    shadoza wrote: »
    BasP wrote: »
    shadoza wrote: »
    Soarora wrote: »
    I’m glad to hear that our pain points are being addressed with such precise communication! My biggest pain point though is still how time consuming it is to set up a character on the PTS (such as having to dig through boxes to get crystals and upgrade mats, dig through boxes to unlock sets, dig through boxes to get a house, dig through the crown store for a merchant and a transmute station, sell all the basic gear to the merchant, reconstruct all the gear, while spamming the transmute crystal…). I’m very much hoping this gets addressed at some point this year.

    I do not understand what boxes you are referencing. I started three knew characters on the PTS, one for each alliance, and didn't have anything to start. No boxes to open. Am I missing something or have the set up change since you last created a character?

    When you create a new character, there's a drop down menu in the top left corner and you need to select the 3600CP template.

    2qm9pxhru8jx.png

    Your character will then have boxes that contain all of the gear sets, consumables, Scribing supplies et cetera.
    ewornxnkf5mz.png

    Thank you for responding. I didn't purchase the Solstice so I paid that part no attention. I will go back and try again with my next character, however, I cannot imagine a maxed out character to be much fun.

    Maxed out characters are not really there for "fun", they're there more to allow testing different builds, content, etc. without the need to either grind a new character all the way through the game or have pre-maxed characters on live already.

    The PTS is definitely setup more of a sand-box style tool for testing things rather than as a way to playthrough the game itself (although that is technically possible on the PTS if one wants to do so).
  • shadoza
    shadoza
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    Turtle_Bot wrote: »
    shadoza wrote: »
    BasP wrote: »
    shadoza wrote: »
    Soarora wrote: »
    I’m glad to hear that our pain points are being addressed with such precise communication! My biggest pain point though is still how time consuming it is to set up a character on the PTS (such as having to dig through boxes to get crystals and upgrade mats, dig through boxes to unlock sets, dig through boxes to get a house, dig through the crown store for a merchant and a transmute station, sell all the basic gear to the merchant, reconstruct all the gear, while spamming the transmute crystal…). I’m very much hoping this gets addressed at some point this year.

    I do not understand what boxes you are referencing. I started three knew characters on the PTS, one for each alliance, and didn't have anything to start. No boxes to open. Am I missing something or have the set up change since you last created a character?

    When you create a new character, there's a drop down menu in the top left corner and you need to select the 3600CP template.

    2qm9pxhru8jx.png

    Your character will then have boxes that contain all of the gear sets, consumables, Scribing supplies et cetera.
    ewornxnkf5mz.png

    Thank you for responding. I didn't purchase the Solstice so I paid that part no attention. I will go back and try again with my next character, however, I cannot imagine a maxed out character to be much fun.

    Maxed out characters are not really there for "fun", they're there more to allow testing different builds, content, etc. without the need to either grind a new character all the way through the game or have pre-maxed characters on live already.

    The PTS is definitely setup more of a sand-box style tool for testing things rather than as a way to playthrough the game itself (although that is technically possible on the PTS if one wants to do so).

    I understand that maxed characters are needed for testing; however, not all content is designed for end game play. I think having a character at a low status will help as well.

    I think the whole game, PTS included, is about having fun.. If one is not enjoying the testing, I think it will show in their attitude toward new content. It might even hinder their ability to avoid being bias.
  • shadoza
    shadoza
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    Soarora wrote: »
    I’m glad to hear that our pain points are being addressed with such precise communication! My biggest pain point though is still how time consuming it is to set up a character on the PTS (such as having to dig through boxes to get crystals and upgrade mats, dig through boxes to unlock sets, dig through boxes to get a house, dig through the crown store for a merchant and a transmute station, sell all the basic gear to the merchant, reconstruct all the gear, while spamming the transmute crystal…). I’m very much hoping this gets addressed at some point this year.

    Yes, template pain points - especially the time needed for set-up, like you mention - are also something we're aware of and investigating options to improve them.

    I used this feature last day. I was wishing that I could drop all those boxes and bags into a holding container so pull them out as needed without having to sort every at one standing. I wound up having a second end game character hold all the stuff so my choice character is free to roam the map. If you don't want us to bank the items, perhaps giving us a PTS vault to place and sort the items. Only those items as in nothing else can be stored there. Doing this would keep players at-the-ready with having tools and materials on hand to test where ever and what ever is needed without having to build up to it.
  • DewiMorgan
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    shadoza wrote: »
    I was wishing that I could drop all those boxes and bags into a holding container so pull them out as needed without having to sort every at one standing. I wound up having a second end game character hold all the stuff so my choice character is free to roam the map. If you don't want us to bank the items, perhaps giving us a PTS vault to place and sort the items.

    Do they work in the housing containers?

    Could add a trader character at the spawn points, that just sells all these packs at like, 1 gold each. That way, no need to organize them in our own inventories. Significant downside: the risk that the trader gets into the Live server, which would be Really Bad.

  • shadoza
    shadoza
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    DewiMorgan wrote: »
    shadoza wrote: »
    I was wishing that I could drop all those boxes and bags into a holding container so pull them out as needed without having to sort every at one standing. I wound up having a second end game character hold all the stuff so my choice character is free to roam the map. If you don't want us to bank the items, perhaps giving us a PTS vault to place and sort the items.

    Do they work in the housing containers?

    Could add a trader character at the spawn points, that just sells all these packs at like, 1 gold each. That way, no need to organize them in our own inventories. Significant downside: the risk that the trader gets into the Live server, which would be Really Bad.

    My house item vault is full 500 items full. There are still containers with housing items to go through but I have no room to put the items. My second character is holding on to stuff right now.
  • StarMightyMaster
    StarMightyMaster
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    Hmmm 40 post and they said they will reply to as many as they can and they replied to only 3 I feel they could have done much better here
  • imPDA
    imPDA
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    Hmmm 40 post and they said they will reply to as many as they can and they replied to only 3 I feel they could have done much better here
    It should be organized differently tbh, separate question - separate thread, with ZOs answer marked and entire thread marked if question is answered and answer is clear, because among this wall of 40 posts there are 20 posts not related to the topic at all. All topics answered should be placed to separate category so you could easily see what answered and what does not.

    But this platform is too heavy for this, github issues would fit this purpose better, just as an example, but there a lot of platforms available. Feedback via this forum will always be not efficient because there is no track of questions at all. All you can do is to wait if your question will be answered and repeat it again, and more than half of questions will remain unanswered because ZOs don't want to answer them because people will not like the answer or just because question was lost among unrelated messages (this one included :)).
    Your Friendly Neighborhood PvP Enjoyer (prior to U48)
  • DoofusMax
    DoofusMax
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    Coming to this thread a bit late (like that's unusual for me), but wanted to chime in on a couple of points regarding communication. I don't really mind a whole bunch when stuff that we report for PTS is not addressed prior to going live. Y'all have stuff to do and have your in-house priorities and that's pretty much how any operation operates. What I'd appreciate more than anything else is at least being acknowledged rather than feeling like I'm shouting into the void. "We heard that, but it's not something we're going to address because <reasons>" or "Thanks, but low-priority" is far superior to the traditional crickets.
    I'm fresh out of outrage, but I could muster up some amused annoyance if required.
  • i_azazei_i
    i_azazei_i
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    Fancy post, now let's see you follow up on it. If there's ever another tu35 situation we'll know this was just talk
  • Kelinmiriel
    Kelinmiriel
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    shadoza wrote: »
    BasP wrote: »
    shadoza wrote: »
    Soarora wrote: »
    I’m glad to hear that our pain points are being addressed with such precise communication! My biggest pain point though is still how time consuming it is to set up a character on the PTS (such as having to dig through boxes to get crystals and upgrade mats, dig through boxes to unlock sets, dig through boxes to get a house, dig through the crown store for a merchant and a transmute station, sell all the basic gear to the merchant, reconstruct all the gear, while spamming the transmute crystal…). I’m very much hoping this gets addressed at some point this year.

    I do not understand what boxes you are referencing. I started three knew characters on the PTS, one for each alliance, and didn't have anything to start. No boxes to open. Am I missing something or have the set up change since you last created a character?

    When you create a new character, there's a drop down menu in the top left corner and you need to select the 3600CP template.

    2qm9pxhru8jx.png

    Your character will then have boxes that contain all of the gear sets, consumables, Scribing supplies et cetera.
    ewornxnkf5mz.png

    Thank you for responding. I didn't purchase the Solstice so I paid that part no attention. I will go back and try again with my next character, however, I cannot imagine a maxed out character to be much fun.
    I believe creating a max template character granted access to the upcoming paid content (in that case, Solstice) so people who hadn't purchased it could still help test it. Kind of a moot point now, perhaps, since all content going forward will be added to the base game. Maybe it'll be used to test premium book passes though.

    The maxed character might not be "fun", but it gives access to many things we can't get easily on pts (or at all), like all limited houses in the game. Unlimited resources and achievements are great for those who don't have everything on both servers who want to check something out or try something. The one major thing that's always been missing is wayshrine unlocks.

    Actually, I do find it fun as well as useful to have that access. I try on costumes I haven't earned with dye colors I haven't earned to decide if things look look the way I'd hoped before I go to the trouble of trying to get an achievement to earn it. But that's me. :)
    Event Tracker addon (PC NA/EU)
    Helps you keep track of your Event Tickets, so you don't miss any. Double XP on events is PASSIVE now!!
  • Gabriel_H
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    You'll forgive me if I'm sceptical. Pick your idiom: Pinch of salt, actions louder than words, believe it when I see it etc.
    PC EU
    Never get involved in a land war in Asia - it's one of the classic blunders!
  • MoonPile
    MoonPile
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    The OP is great, appreciated and I'm cautiously hopeful and excited about the QOL changes!

    Agree with these too:
    DoofusMax wrote: »
    ...I don't really mind a whole bunch when stuff that we report for PTS is not addressed prior to going live. Y'all have stuff to do and have your in-house priorities and that's pretty much how any operation operates. What I'd appreciate more than anything else is at least being acknowledged rather than feeling like I'm shouting into the void. "We heard that, but it's not something we're going to address because <reasons>" or "Thanks, but low-priority" is far superior to the traditional crickets.
    gabbo1928 wrote: »
    One of the recurring themes I see after new content launches, are forum complaints about bugs, pointing to earlier forum posts from during the PTS cycle, pointing out the same bugs at that time, which were never fixed before launch.

    There is also usually an official post at some point that tracks known issues. It might be helpful to lead with that sort of post, maybe at the same time the patch notes are posted, while the servers are still offline. ...

    It's probably near-impossible to respond to every report!

    Simultaneously, for those of us who often engage with testing and community, it's frustrating to report issues and never see anything come of it. Then the issue goes live, tons of players in our community complain, and all we can say is "Yeah... we (few testers) tried hard to get that resolved but no idea what happened with it."

    A few weeks ago I even saw that an issue I'd reported since PTS would be addressed in Incremental Patch - yay! But then it never was, and nobody ever replied :( Priorities are understandable of course, but Housing thread had very few bug reports to begin with.
    EDIT: You fixed it! :) Works on PTS! THANK YOU!!!! I will happily STHP about that now 😂

    Also, re:
    Will be there still the seperation of NA being first and EU later?

    That is currently still the plan, yes. On our end, we really need to be able to test both databases during a PTS cycle just to confirm there are no issues with either. We understand the separate copies are not ideal and are open to looking at other options that still meet our needs, but we do need to be able to test both NA and EU and are not able to do both copies simultaneously.

    Since Seasons are shorter, will there be any adjustment to PTS schedule for NA vs EU? –
    https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/675965/with-dev-schedule-changing-can-pts-na-eu-schedule-please-be-more-balanced

    (Actually, some of that issue could also be addressed by optimizing Tester characters & making more available to them – like Achievements unlocked, Luxury furnishings, etc. – as these comments say: https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/comment/8412389/#Comment_8412389 )
    .
    Edited by MoonPile on January 13, 2026 12:39AM
  • DoofusMax
    DoofusMax
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    I agree that every bug report can't be addressed individually, which is why I generally use the in-game /bug feature. If I get anything back on those, it's almost always "thanks for reporting" or something similar, but I have to go manually look it up. It's really the stuff where I took the time to write out a post on the forums where some sort of response would be most appreciated.

    In the interest of being even-handed, however, even stuff that's easy to fix like simple typos gets zero action with the in-game /bug reports. *AHEM and for the umpteenth time* it's " BREATHE in the herbal bouquet," not "BREATH in the herbal bouquet". Nouns and verbs: they're not just for making your life miserable in Language Arts.
    I'm fresh out of outrage, but I could muster up some amused annoyance if required.
  • tsaescishoeshiner
    tsaescishoeshiner
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    [*] Overall satisfaction with the current PTS experience is mixed, with 11% of respondents who have participated in the ESO PTS at least once feeling very satisfied, 46% feeling somewhat satisfied, 27% feeling somewhat dissatisfied, and 17% feeling very dissatisfied.

    I think people on the forums and other online platforms should keep these stats in mind—some people really believe that everyone is outraged by PTS cycles or other issues, when in fact many players see some good and some bad. Not that people's most fiery critiques don't ever have merit or at least a kernel of truth.
    PC-NA
    in-game: @tsaescishoeshiner
  • SummersetCitizen
    SummersetCitizen
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    This is valid, @SummersetCitizen and we recognize it's on us to make good on what we're saying and work toward improving. We'll give this a shot with the upcoming PTS cycle - starting with these small steps - and evolve as needed and based on everyone's feedback.
    @ZOS_JessicaFolsom
    I’ve been in a rather dark headspace lately regarding the future of the game, and I want to apologize for that. Obviously, I care deeply about it… or I wouldn’t still be here.

    I’m genuinely grateful for the open communication you’ve offered, especially in the face of my negativity. It has had a meaningful impact and has helped shift my perspective toward cautious optimism. I can’t adequately express how much that has meant to me.

    Thank you.

    Warm regards.
    Edited by SummersetCitizen on January 12, 2026 11:47PM
  • ZOS_JessicaFolsom
    ZOS_JessicaFolsom
    Community Manager
    I’ve been in a rather dark headspace lately regarding the future of the game, and I want to apologize for that. Obviously, I care deeply about it… or I wouldn’t still be here.

    I’m genuinely grateful for the open communication you’ve offered, especially in the face of my negativity. It has had a meaningful impact and has helped shift my perspective toward cautious optimism. I can’t adequately express how much that has meant to me.

    Thank you.

    Warm regards.

    Hey, thanks. Anytime. :smile: We're glad to have you here still.

    My personal philosophy as a CM is even when people are upset about something, if they're taking the time to share about it, they still care. And that's important.
    Jessica Folsom
    Associate Director of Community - ZeniMax Online Studios
    Facebook | Twitter | Twitch | Tumblr | Instagram | YouTube | Support
    Staff Post
  • spartaxoxo
    spartaxoxo
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    l
    That's a great question and one I asked as well when we first heard we were moving toward simultaneous releases on all platforms. While it's something we'd love to extend to our console players someday, it's a bit more complicated than just flipping a switch to allow console players access to the PTS server. As the PTS is built now for PC, it's a separate client download even though it uses the same patcher as the PC EU and NA servers. This would mean splitting our build pipeline further, and asking our console players to download an additional client, which isn't ideal or realistic. There may be additional technical hurdles as well. It's possible this is something we could revisit when crossplay comes online in the future.

    Why is it unrealistic to ask us to download a separate client? I already have downloaded them for other games betas, for example.
  • Seraphayel
    Seraphayel
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    spartaxoxo wrote: »
    l
    That's a great question and one I asked as well when we first heard we were moving toward simultaneous releases on all platforms. While it's something we'd love to extend to our console players someday, it's a bit more complicated than just flipping a switch to allow console players access to the PTS server. As the PTS is built now for PC, it's a separate client download even though it uses the same patcher as the PC EU and NA servers. This would mean splitting our build pipeline further, and asking our console players to download an additional client, which isn't ideal or realistic. There may be additional technical hurdles as well. It's possible this is something we could revisit when crossplay comes online in the future.

    Why is it unrealistic to ask us to download a separate client? I already have downloaded them for other games betas, for example.

    Because we have limited space and doubling the ESO client would mean another 130GB of space many of us simply don’t have.
    PS5
    EU
    Aldmeri Dominion
    - Khajiit Arcanist -
  • imPDA
    imPDA
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    Yes, template pain points - especially the time needed for set-up, like you mention - are also something we're aware of and investigating options to improve them.

    While I have not done a full build on PTS for a very long time, I have log into PTS to make sure things works on Linux.

    To make full build far easier, a full template character should have full collections(sticker book) AND full crafting bag. This is so one can just go to the transmute station and create the build they need right there and then without having to dig though coffers/containers for about an hour looking for that one item missing from there new build.

    I decided to make an addon to help with it, as I also struggle to find things A LOT. It is on approval at the moment; you can find it on ESOUI. It will be available in Minion after approval on ESOUI.

    At the moment, you can
    - filter items with text search
    - press right mouse button and choose to automatically retrieve item

    Second feature is not stable yet tho :disappointed:

    To build this I spend ~2 hours to open (automatically! Manually it would take days probably) all containers and build a database and tree of all available items. Container CD is 1 second and there are a lot of containers :D I will make it stable eventually, and ideally, if this addon and QoL improvement will be in demand, I think it is possible to integrate it with Super Star or Wizard's Wardrobe to automatically retrieve all items for build.

    fvqgdn2sroh0.png
    Your Friendly Neighborhood PvP Enjoyer (prior to U48)
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