Concerned About the New Subscription Direction

Furyous · March 2

I’ve been an ESO Plus member for many years, on and off since beta, and the value used to be clear. If you had ESO Plus and you bought the yearly chapter, you had access to the entire game. The chapter was a finished product, ESO Plus covered everything else, and the whole setup was simple and fair.

That’s not the case anymore.

The 2025 Season Pass Hurt Player Trust
The 2025 Season Pass asked players to prepay for a full year of content, but what we received was one buggy zone (let's not get into the ruined once in a lifetime event) for a higher price than the old chapter model. When players pay up front, the delivery needs to match the promise. Last year’s did not.

The New Subscription Layers Are Confusing
Now we have the Tome subscription on top of ESO Plus. It works like a game pass with its own features and progression. ESO Plus does not include it, and the Tome subscription does not include ESO Plus. If you want both sets of features, the cost jumps from fifteen dollars a month to twenty-five (a 66% increase).

That is a huge increase for players who used to pay fifteen and feel fully covered.

The bigger issue is how split the system has become. Each subscription unlocks different parts of the game, and none of them overlap cleanly. When the structure is this fragmented, it becomes hard to know what you are actually paying for, and it creates pressure to subscribe to everything just to avoid missing content.

The Value Has Shifted in the Wrong Direction
Under the old system, ESO Plus plus the yearly chapter meant full access. One subscription and one chapter purchase covered the entire game.

The new setup claims the free track gives you what you used to get, but the paid track adds new systems tied directly to gameplay and progression. These are the kinds of features that used to be included in the unified experience when you were already paying for ESO Plus.

So long‑time supporters are now being asked to pay for ESO Plus and then pay again for systems that would have been part of the core game before. The total cost has gone from fifteen dollars a month to a structure where the full feature set requires $25 a month.

I Want ESO to Succeed, but This Direction Is Hard to Support
I love this game, but the shift from a simple, predictable model to a multi‑tier subscription setup that is harder to understand and far more expensive is frustrating. After a year where the paid content underdelivered, it is difficult to feel confident about paying 66% more for less (taking away programmers from the base game to create these new systems means less for the base game).

ESO has always been strongest when the value was clear. Right now, that clarity is slipping.

PS: Development Hours Are Not Free
The part that worries me even more is where the development hours are going. Systems like the Tome subscription and the new game pass style layers do not build themselves. They require engineering time, UI work, backend support, and ongoing maintenance. That time has to come from somewhere.

It is not like ZOS hired a new team to build and support these new revenue systems. These hours are being pulled from the same pool that used to go toward the game itself. In the past, those hours were funded by ESO Plus and chapter sales. Now they are being redirected to build and maintain a more complex subscription structure.

With the massive layoffs and departures that happened after the Microsoft acquisition, it is fair to ask whether the team can keep up with past years of content while also supporting multiple new monetization systems. The workload has gone up, the team size has gone down, and the results in 2025 already showed the strain.

LunaFlora · March 2

You will have access to all old "dlc" content with just ESO Plus. anything from 2026 and beyond is free.

Tamriel Tomes only include cosmetics.
Things like personalities, furnishings, skill styles.

The Gold Coast Bazaar is also being added which will let us purchase old items like the Dragon's Treasure Trove and ESO Plus rewards, collectibles from Tamriel Tomes will likely return in the Bazaar after a while too.

Future content that in the past was only in dlc and chapters will be free:
- zones
- dungeons
- trials
- quests
- Tales of Tribute decks
- Companions
all free.

Old dlc and chapters are becoming base game, not all immediately, but just in this year:
in update 49 next week:
- Dark Brotherhood.
- Thieves Guild.
- imperial city.
- Orsinium.
- Warden class.
later in 2026:
- Greymoor chapter.

i do not worry for ZOS' income as i believe ESO Plus and the Crown Store likely gives them plenty. And of course i do not work for ZOS.

Links to eso website posts about Seasons, Tamriel Tomes, and the Gold Coast Bazaar:
https://www.elderscrollsonline.com/en-us/news/post/69137
https://www.elderscrollsonline.com/en-us/news/post/69141
https://www.elderscrollsonline.com/en-us/news/post/69139

Gracous · March 2

For a console player in Canada it will cost the following (CAD):
ESO plus yearly sub = $172.99 + tax
Yearly Season Pass = $42.99/ quarter - one free quarter ($128.97) + tax
Playstation plus essential (needed for online content) = $224.99 +tax

So for me it will cost - $301.96 CAD + $224.99 +Tax

This is of course if you want all the shinnies that come with that.
My plan is to sub for one quarter to see if the sub is worth it.
From what I have seen and heard the extra cost will not be worth it and i will not re-sub unless of course there are things they didn't tell us about to keep our subs active. Only time will tell. This is a substantial increase from what i have been paying before and given the IRL economy i may have to make some choices down the road.

SeaGtGruff · March 2

I think the main issue here is that the free access is time-limited, or at least that's my understanding. Admittedly, I'm confused and my understanding is murky, but I thought there were things in the free-access version of the season that will go away at the end of that season, and if you want to retain access to it even after the season ends then you need to buy at least the $15 version of the season pass. As I said, my understanding is murky, so I would appreciate any information that clarifies things.

LunaFlora · March 2

SeaGtGruff wrote: »

I think the main issue here is that the free access is time-limited, or at least that's my understanding. Admittedly, I'm confused and my understanding is murky, but I thought there were things in the free-access version of the season that will go away at the end of that season, and if you want to retain access to it even after the season ends then you need to buy at least the $15 version of the season pass. As I said, my understanding is murky, so I would appreciate any information that clarifies things.

i assume you are referring to Tamriel Tomes?
there is the 2025 Content Pass and Tamriel Tomes are like a battle pass, no season pass.

The seasonal Tomes will indeed go away for you when a new Tome releases if you do not purchase them, but it is very likely all those collectibles will return in the Gold Coast Bazaar in the future.
As the Bazaar is being added to return old items.

the website posts i linked in my earlier comment might explain it better as they are from ZOS.

Carcamongus · March 2

Okay, so I finally decided to bite the bullet and read about the changes. Holy hell, I thought they were a bit less confusing. Why end event tickets and create yet another currency when the same could be achieved by removing the ticket cap? Why put the game in such a constant state of change that's certain to require a lot of resources from the devs? The old system was predictable in terms of price and content and it just worked. In fact, the problem wasn't the system itself, but rather reduced levels of quality as the years went by. Can we get stories with the quality seen in Orsinium or Clockwork City with this new chaotic system? Seasons of the Worm Cult wasn't exactly memorable for the right reasons.

This is how I already feel about this new system and I haven't even gotten to the price tag yet. And after that, I guess I should look up what the hell a battlepass is...

Furyous · March 2

Carcamongus wrote: »

I guess I should look up what the hell a battlepass is...

A battle pass is a paid progression track added on top of a game. In ESO’s case, it’s basically a second subscription layered on top of ESO Plus that locks extra systems and rewards behind another monthly fee.

Most important overlooked fact is that it requires programmers and designers to be taken off the main game to support it. So you get less support of the main game to support the new monetization model.

spartaxoxo · March 2

All new content is free so if you're paying for content the game is a lot cheaper now.

It used to be 49.99 for the deluxe upgrade (we're going with the price for bonus cosmetics since we're talking about wanting to get all the yearly cosmetics here too). And then 139.99 for 1 year of ESO+.

Total cost for all content plus a handful of collectibles was about 190 per year.

Now that cost is 0 dollars for a handful of collectibles and new content. And ESO+ is still 139.99 for 1 year.

Total cost for all content plus a handful of collectibles is now 139.99 for 1 year. Assuming you are using ESO+ to access the content and don't already own it outright.

If you'd like additional cosmetic collectibles, you can pay around an additional 90 dollars (assuming 3 passes this year at 29.99 for the premium+ tier).

Total cost for all content plus a handful of free collectibles plus a sizable amount of additional paid collectibles is around 230 bucks.

If cosmetics is your primary concern then you're paying a lot more money and getting more cosmetics than you did in the past.

If content is your primary concern and you are satisfied with the amount of cosmetics you got in the past, then the game just got a lot cheaper because new content is free.

ESO_player123 · March 2

This it the way I look at this:
We have a free first tier of Tamriel Tomes. They replace the daily login rewards and daily/weekly Endeavors. So, it's not much of a change for me here. As advertised, I like that I can choose on which day I want to complete a task or two.

The next two paid Tamriel Tomes tiers for now are going to include cosmetics only. So, to me they are a bit better version of Crown crates (better in a sense that you do not need to gamble to get what you want). I've never purchased any crates (I get everything I want with Seals), so I doubt I will buy paid tiers of Tamriel Tomes. So, nothing lost or gained here.

If all content is going to be free from now on, I will actually save money since I will not be spending on new chapters. Of course, what kind of content we will be getting remains to be seen.

spartaxoxo · March 2

Also the season pass cost more because they bundled the dungeons in rather than sell the chapter alone.

I know ESO+ users had to double pay for the dungeons so I'm not excusing that because that was legitimately awful. But I want to clarify that because we didn't only get the zone. We also got the dungeons permanently unlocked whether we're subscribed or not.

AzuraFan · March 2

The premium tome tiers are pricey in my currency, so I'll decide whether to buy a tome on a case-by-case basis.

I get one premium + bonuses tome free/year with ESO+, which is great. I'm not big into cosmetics, so unless there's something I really, really want, the ultimate rewards won't entice me to buy. Removing the time limit on completion is a bigger deal for me. If they offer more than cosmetics for a tome, like a house or something else, that would attract me too.

The seasonal Tomes will indeed go away for you when a new Tome releases if you do not purchase them, but it is very likely all those collectibles will return in the Gold Coast Bazaar in the future.

The unique collectibles from the premium tomes should remain exclusive to those who pay for the tomes. Otherwise why would anyone buy the premium tomes? Why not just wait for the collectibles to show up in the bazaar? If they do come to the bazaar, there would have to be a significant waiting period, meaning years, not months.

driosketch · March 2

Furyous wrote: »

Carcamongus wrote: »

I guess I should look up what the hell a battlepass is...

A battle pass is a paid progression track added on top of a game. In ESO’s case, it’s basically a second subscription layered on top of ESO Plus that locks extra systems and rewards behind another monthly fee.

Most important overlooked fact is that it requires programmers and designers to be taken off the main game to support it. So you get less support of the main game to support the new monetization model.

That is not what a battle pass is. For those who have never experienced one, think of it like a Golden Pursuit, but every point has a reward, probably like the daily crown potions for the in-between. You progress the bar through tasks like endeavors, though usually more standardized.

Now parallel to that bar will be the premium bar, more cosmetics, duplicate currency rewards, ect. Your tasks progress both bars, but you can only claim the premium rewards if you buy the pass.

Based on what I've read, new content is free. The free rewards will expire with the season, much like the Golden Pursuit are time limited. We can agree, taking your money and having rewards expire before you earn enough points to claim them would be pretty anti-consumer. So it makes sense it doesn't expire if you buy the pass. It also appears the rewards can be claimed out of order, unlike most battle passes or even the GP. Finally, the premium+ just gives you extra points to spend right away plus a collectable.

If none of the extras interest you, you don't need to spend any additional money.

Erickson9610 · March 2

AzuraFan wrote: »

The unique collectibles from the premium tomes should remain exclusive to those who pay for the tomes. Otherwise why would anyone buy the premium tomes? Why not just wait for the collectibles to show up in the bazaar? If they do come to the bazaar, there would have to be a significant waiting period, meaning years, not months.

The point is to have access to the content early. The same can be said for all of the DLCs that were made base game.

I really don't think Tamriel Tome rewards should be exclusive. There are premium rewards like Skill Styles that really should return in the future for those who missed out on them when they were initially available. The Gold Coast Bazaar is designed to solve this problem of exclusive rewards, and it would be a huge missed opportunity to not utilize it as such.

I'd say a waiting period of 1.5 years before there's a chance of premium Tamriel Tome rewards returning would be a reasonable compromise.

AzuraFan · 2:18AM

Erickson9610 wrote: »

I'd say a waiting period of 1.5 years before there's a chance of premium Tamriel Tome rewards returning would be a reasonable compromise.

If the waiting period is that short, players like me, who aren't into cosmetics but might have bought the odd tome now and then, will just wait. Especially since being able to complete the tasks at your leisure is a selling point of the premium tiers. It's not a given that people who buy the premium tiers will have their items by the end of a season, so that has to be taken into account too.

Right now there can be long wait times for items to return in the crown store (years), so I don't see why paid tome items should return to the bazaar within a couple of years. If tomes are going to be one of ZOS's main income generators, they'll need to preserve the value of the tomes or people won't buy them.

barney2525 · 4:47PM

Here's the thing that bothers me. Yes, you have access to all that DLC and All those main Zone Quests

Exactly WHEN ais anyone going to have time to PLAY them???

They are coming out with Seasons of 3 month duration. 3 months to complete everything in that season.

So when do you get to do - The MAIN Questline, The Alliance Questline, The Mage Guild Questline, The Fight Guild Questline, Cadwell's Questlines, Wrothgar Main Questline, Skyrim Questline, Reach Questline, Craiglorn Zone, Psijic Questline, Scribing Questline, ALL the Prologue Questlines, All the Companion Questlines, Necrom Questline, Summerset Questline, Murkmire Questline, Vvardenfall Questline, Clockwork City Questline, Blackwood Questline, Apporcrypha Questline, Theives Guild Questline, Dark Brotherhood Questline, High Isle Questline, and more where they came from ??

Is this what new players are looking for ?

Arunei · 5:17PM

AzuraFan wrote: »

The premium tome tiers are pricey in my currency, so I'll decide whether to buy a tome on a case-by-case basis.

I get one premium + bonuses tome free/year with ESO+, which is great. I'm not big into cosmetics, so unless there's something I really, really want, the ultimate rewards won't entice me to buy. Removing the time limit on completion is a bigger deal for me. If they offer more than cosmetics for a tome, like a house or something else, that would attract me too.

The seasonal Tomes will indeed go away for you when a new Tome releases if you do not purchase them, but it is very likely all those collectibles will return in the Gold Coast Bazaar in the future.

The unique collectibles from the premium tomes should remain exclusive to those who pay for the tomes. Otherwise why would anyone buy the premium tomes? Why not just wait for the collectibles to show up in the bazaar? If they do come to the bazaar, there would have to be a significant waiting period, meaning years, not months.

Not everyone would pay specifically to get certain items; you also don't have a time limit on the Tomes you pay for. So you aren't paying just for the Cosmetics, you're paying for the ability to do them at your own pace. I don't see anything that's getting introduced via the Tomes as being exclusive since the whole reason they're doing the Bazaar and making content free in the future is to move away from FOMO. Making Cosmetics that are tied to paid Tomes does the opposite of what they're wanting to do; it still creates FOMO.

barney2525 wrote: »

Here's the thing that bothers me. Yes, you have access to all that DLC and All those main Zone Quests

Exactly WHEN ais anyone going to have time to PLAY them???

They are coming out with Seasons of 3 month duration. 3 months to complete everything in that season.

So when do you get to do - The MAIN Questline, The Alliance Questline, The Mage Guild Questline, The Fight Guild Questline, Cadwell's Questlines, Wrothgar Main Questline, Skyrim Questline, Reach Questline, Craiglorn Zone, Psijic Questline, Scribing Questline, ALL the Prologue Questlines, All the Companion Questlines, Necrom Questline, Summerset Questline, Murkmire Questline, Vvardenfall Questline, Clockwork City Questline, Blackwood Questline, Apporcrypha Questline, Theives Guild Questline, Dark Brotherhood Questline, High Isle Questline, and more where they came from ??

Is this what new players are looking for ?

Not everything that gets released every Season is going to be quests, Zones, and new content. Sometimes it will be new systems, sometimes it'll be the Class Skill refreshes they're doing. But to address the question itself, that's up to each individual player. The game is going to get new content to go through regardless of how often or infrequently it gets added, so each player has to prioritize what content they enjoy or want to do. This is a problem ANY new player to ANY long-running MMO is going to face, too, it's not unique to ESO.

BretonMage · 5:35PM

spartaxoxo wrote: »

All new content is free so if you're paying for content the game is a lot cheaper now.

Are we even getting new content this year? I know Kevin said that we're not getting a new zone this year. So far the only content I'm hearing about is the TG and Sheogorath

quests, which seems pretty sparse.

LunaFlora · 5:50PM

BretonMage wrote: »

spartaxoxo wrote: »

All new content is free so if you're paying for content the game is a lot cheaper now.

Are we even getting new content this year? I know Kevin said that we're not getting a new zone this year. So far the only content I'm hearing about is the TG and Sheogorath quests, which seems pretty sparse.

- Thieves Guild sequel
- Sheogorath quests
- Crimson Veldt trial
- solo versions of Moon Hunter Keep and March of Sacrifices
- Night Market, new (event) zone. it has instances similar to dungeon and trial.
- Sage's Vault, Rumors, Favors. quest like content.
- Class Refreshes with Class Mastery passives.
- Dynamic world events such as storms in Skyrim zones.

you could argue some of that is not new as it is using existing content, but it is still technically new.

spartaxoxo · 6:37PM

BretonMage wrote: »

spartaxoxo wrote: »

All new content is free so if you're paying for content the game is a lot cheaper now.

Are we even getting new content this year? I know Kevin said that we're not getting a new zone this year. So far the only content I'm hearing about is the TG and Sheogorath quests, which seems pretty sparse.

I think that the number of quests will probably be similar but idk what their plans are.

twisttop138 · 6:49PM

LunaFlora wrote: »

You will have access to all old "dlc" content with just ESO Plus. anything from 2026 and beyond is free.

Tamriel Tomes only include cosmetics.
Things like personalities, furnishings, skill styles.

The Gold Coast Bazaar is also being added which will let us purchase old items like the Dragon's Treasure Trove and ESO Plus rewards, collectibles from Tamriel Tomes will likely return in the Bazaar after a while too.

Future content that in the past was only in dlc and chapters will be free:
- zones
- dungeons
- trials
- quests
- Tales of Tribute decks
- Companions
all free.

Old dlc and chapters are becoming base game, not all immediately, but just in this year:
in update 49 next week:
- Dark Brotherhood.
- Thieves Guild.
- imperial city.
- Orsinium.
- Warden class.
later in 2026:
- Greymoor chapter.

i do not worry for ZOS' income as i believe ESO Plus and the Crown Store likely gives them plenty. And of course i do not work for ZOS.

Links to eso website posts about Seasons, Tamriel Tomes, and the Gold Coast Bazaar:
https://www.elderscrollsonline.com/en-us/news/post/69137
https://www.elderscrollsonline.com/en-us/news/post/69141
https://www.elderscrollsonline.com/en-us/news/post/69139

I could be wrong, but I think that was part of his point. The devaluation of ESO plus. Take away getting all dlc for free leaves a big hole. I think we could fill said hole with something like a craft bag for consumables. Like call it a cupboard. It helps add value for money in a predictable income stream for Zos.

As for the rest of it, I'm tired boss. I think I'm over debating wether the pass is good or bad. I still think free content gives them no incentive to do things as ambitious as a western Skyrim or Summerset. Games with free content and a battle pass have every reason to build around things that push the pass.

As a fallout 76 player, we're headed into season 24 today. We got some nerds and buffs and pipboy changes. And our content for the 3 month season? 1 new enemy and 35% less rewards than last season. Not saying they're the same game, of course not. Just, for the folks that seem Uber excited about this battle pass, be careful what you wish for. You just might get it.