12 years after launch, The Elder Scrolls Online MMORPG is going through some major changes. Developer ZeniMax Online Studios today announced that it will be ditching the annual chapter release schedule entirely. Going forward, it plans to make seasonal updates that aim to deliver more frequent and smaller content drops for players.
These three-month seasons will be completely free to all The Elder Scrolls Online players that own a copy of the game or are playing through a subscription like Game Pass. Each season is slated to bring a mix of new zones, quests, classes, skills, cosmetic items, and more features. Regular game updates will also be landing in between seasons.
April will mark the start of Season Zero: Dawn and Dusk, kicking off a PvE event in the new Night Market area for a limited time for players to earn rewards. A brand-new Challenge difficulty option for the overland, a PVP progression system, and a new store to earn cosmetic items at are also included.
The studio is also promising a large number of quality-of-life changes requested by the community with this update, including the ability to respec straight from the UI for free, faster training for riding, and increased furnishing limits.
Seasons one and two are slated to land later in 2026, bringing a Thieves Guild questline, the return of Sheogorath, an end-game Trial, solo dungeons, and even a brand-new event on the high seas.
Another major change incoming to the MMO with the seasonal change is the inclusion of DLCs and expansions like Thieves Guild, Dark Brotherhood, and the Imperial City with the base game, removing the need for players to purchase them separately. Cross-play is also a planned feature for later, allowing players of all platforms to finally play together.
On top of all this, a battle pass season is being introduced for players to unlock rewards as they play. Dubbed Tamriel Tomes, these will be released with the launch of each new season of The Elder Scrolls Online, giving players challenges they can complete for earning cosmetic rewards like armor sets, home furniture, and premium currency. One free and two paid options ($15 and $30) are available for battle passes, with the latter unlocking more rewards for players to gain as they play.