The Elder Scrolls Online Finds Its Identity as an MMO Eight Years After Launch
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The Elder Scrolls Online struggled at launch in 2014 to find the right balance between being an MMO and an Elder Scrolls game. The release of Skyrim in 2011 forced the team to overhaul ESO's design to be more like a traditional Elder Scrolls title.
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ESO didn't fully embrace its Elder Scrolls roots until the One Tamriel update in 2016, which removed level requirements from zones and allowed players to quest together regardless of faction or alliance.
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Chapters, starting with Morrowind in 2017, emerged from discussions about keeping players engaged long-term. They provide a major content beat alongside annual updates.
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Upcoming Chapter Gold Road represents a shift to more expansive story arcs told across multiple Chapters rather than concluding in a year.
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Despite evolutions over time, ESO's creative director Rich Lambert says that if making the game today he'd still choose to make it an MMO over a live service game like Destiny.