The Elder Scrolls Online is getting a ton of updates, according to a forum post by developer Zenimax.
“We’ve already announced our first two DLC game packs […] in 2016: Thieves Guild and Dark Brotherhood,” said Game Director Matt Firor, “And will be working on much more in 2016, including a major change in how world zones treat player character levels.”
He also said there will be updates to server performance.
A big focus area for Zenimax in the coming year will be making sure ESO players have an easier time communicating and joining groups.
“The first step in doing this will be to fix longstanding problems with the Looking for Group system,” Firor wrote. A new group-seeking system will launch with the Thieve’s Guild DLC, which is coming in the first part of 2016. It will help players find groups with fewer restrictions, and it will level scaling like Zenimax introduced with Imperial City and Orsinium DLCs. That way players joining groups can be assured that all members of the group will be able to play in the same zones.
Text chat is also coming to the console version of the game. Though it’s certainly easier to use a headset and voice chat on console, the addition of text chat is important. Not only because it lets players communicate on different levels (within groups, versus zone-wide) but also for the sake of those who are uncomfortable using voice chat, or who can’t.
The leveling system is also getting an overhaul for veteran players, in that Veteran Ranks will be going away soon. In the future, players level 50 and above will gain levels through the Champion System. Champion points will be gained alongside Experience, and the point cap (currently set at 501) will rise over time as Zenimax continues adding content to the game.
The Thieves Guild DLC and a corresponding update will be on ESO’s public test servers as soon as February.
“Longer term, expect to see information about systems like a character customization shop so you can change your character’s gender, appearance, name, etc., player housing, and other systems that we’ll announce in the future,” Firor wrote.
The Elder Scrolls Online is available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
