The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind launches worldwide on June 6, which – coincidentally, it turns out – is the 15th anniversary of the North American Xbox release of The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind.

No pressure, then.

The version of The Elder Scrolls Online that players are enjoying in 2017 is a vastly different animal to the game that released in 2014. For a start, the original was limited to PC and Mac, and also required a paid subscription.

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Welcome to One Tamriel, where you can adventure without limits, now available in Update 12. One Tamriel allows you to play anywhere, with anyone, at any time by scaling your character to the level of the content in every almost zone of the game. That means you can play with your friends regardless of their level or alliance. And best of all, this update is completely free to all ESO players!

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Q: The Elder Scrolls Online launched to lukewarm reviews, but since then it has quietly grown into a popular powerhouse of an MMO. How did you and the team manage that?

Matt Firor: Oh man, we could talk for hours! I think when ESO launched on PC in 2014, yeah you're right it was received okay, but it was obvious that it wasn't being received by Elder Scrolls fans super well. And that's because it needed a little more of that Elder Scrolls freedom is how I guess you'd put it. We had put a lot of time into making the game very deep, so it had lots of content – lots of quests, dungeons and all the things you expect – but it didn't have that sense of 'I leave the tutorial and I can do whatever I want' that Elder Scrolls games are known for.

Over the time between PC launch and console launch – there was about a year there – we really spent putting together things that made the game broader not deeper, things like the justice system. So if you log in and you don't wanna do quests, you just wanna run around and steal things from NPCs and loot their homes and sell to a fence and make money, you can do that. The game doesn't encourage it, it doesn't discourage it – it's just something else you can do. That's kinda the hallmark of what makes an Elder Scrolls game an Elder Scrolls game.

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Introducing the Cradle of Shadows and Ruins of Mazzatun, two new four-player dungeons included with the Shadows of the Hist DLC game pack – out now for PC/Mac, Xbox One, & PlayStation 4!

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Blood will flow. Prepare for your life as one of Tamriel’s most feared assassins with this assassination trailer featuring of Blade of Woe kills, courtesy of the Dark Brotherhood. The Dark Brotherhood DLC game pack is available now on PC and Mac. Coming to Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on June 14!

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The Dark Brotherhood is recruiting new blood in Tamriel. Watch the Dark Brotherhood teaser for a first look at the next DLC for The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited.

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Presenter and all-around adventurer Sophie Monk is back in Tamriel. Join her as she travels to Abah’s Landing to visit Pete, a member of the iconic Thieves Guild. With riches to be made, new activities to get involved with and a brand new location to explore, you’ll want to book your trip now! Play dirty, get away clean.

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Play dirty; get away clean. For the first time in The Elder Scrolls Online, you can join the ranks of the iconic Thieves Guild and reap all the rewards—and risks—that come with it. Watch our latest trailer to learn all about ESO’s third DLC game pack, now available on Xbox One!

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Play dirty; get away clean. For the first time in The Elder Scrolls Online, you can join the ranks of the iconic Thieves Guild and reap all the rewards—and risks—that come with it. Watch our latest trailer to learn all about ESO’s third DLC game pack, now available on PC and Mac. Coming to Xbox One on March 22 and PlayStation 4 on March 23!

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The first DLC game of 2016 for The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited will add a Thieves Guild to the MMO.

The DLC will add the Thieves Guild, a new zone called Hew’s Bane that is available to characters of all levels, hours of new story content and quests, a new 12-player trial called Maw of Lorkhaj, new group bosses and delves to conquer, new criminal activities, a new passive skill line exclusive to members of the Thieves Guild, and more.

A release date and price is yet to be announced.

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You can play The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited for free on Xbox One and PC right now until Monday December 14 at 9:01pm NZDT.

On Xbox One, provided you have an active Xbox Live Gold subscription, you can just download the game and get started (more info here), but on PC you need an activation code.

Fortunately, we have 20 of these to give away, so if you want to play, comment on this story and we’ll send you one!

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Watch our latest trailer "Reforging Orsinium" for a first look at the upcoming Orsinium DLC game pack for The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited, coming to PC/Mac on November 2nd, Xbox One on November 17th, and PlayStation®4 on November 18th.

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The Elder Scrolls Online's next DLC pack, Orsinium, is the MMO's biggest ever expansion, says Bethesda.

Taking players to the titular Orcish homeland, Zenimax Online Studios says the expansion offers over 20 hours of additional gameplay.

The included quests will be available to all players, regardless of level.

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Imperial City, the first DLC game pack for The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited, is now available for PC and Mac.

It will be available for Xbox One on September 15, and PlayStation 4 on September 16.

“Imperial City, the heart of the Cyrodiilic Empire, has fallen to Daedric Prince Molag Bal and now all three alliances must battle not only against the Daedric forces, but against each other as well!” said Zenimax Online Studios.

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Bethesda won't be making any Elder Scrolls announcements for a while, says the company's Marketing VP Pete Hines.

Speaking to DualShockers at Gamescom 2015, Hines said it would be "a very long time" before the studio's next project is announced.

The only Elder Scrolls game we will hear about, said Hines, is The Elder Scrolls Online and its spread of DLC – not a single-player followup to the 20-million-selling The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

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Watch the latest TESO trailer "Liberate the Imperial City" for a first look at the upcoming Imperial City DLC game pack for The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited, coming to PC/Mac on August 31st, Xbox One on September 15th, and PlayStation 4 on September 16.

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ZeniMax Online has shared the first details on The Imperial City, the first DLC pack for The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited.

According to the developer, Imperial City adds hours of additional gameplay to the MMO, and features new areas, quests, enemies, and exclusive items.

“The Imperial City, the heart of the Cyrodiilic Empire, has fallen to Daedric Prince Molag Bal and now all three alliances must battle not only against the Daedric forces, but each other,” it said.

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Join presenter and all-round adventurer Sophie Monk as she explores the beautiful land of Tamriel from The Elder Scrolls Online. With hundreds of hours of exploration, relaxation and adventure, make this the destination of your next well-earned break.

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To celebrate the launch of The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited next week, ZeniMax Online Studios has provided us with seven exclusive screens from the game. It's out on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on June 9.

The screens depict “the Seven Wonders of Tamriel”, and are described thusly:

The Aetherian Archive
For untold ages this blocky tower, its portals mystically sealed, has loomed over the desert town of Elinhir. Its architect and builders are unknown, but mighty wizards, drawn perhaps by its arcane power, have settled in Elinhir and built their own towers in imitation of the mysterious original.

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Watch the final "This is The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited" video to see more of the expansive world waiting for you to explore in The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited.

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From your first steps in Tamriel and beyond, our latest video series delves into all that awaits you in The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited. Watch the first This is The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited video, in which we explore the freedom to forge your own path in Tamriel and the countless choices you’ll face along the way.

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For the first time ever, you can adventure in ESO without paying a game subscription! The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited – coming June 9th to Xbox One and PlayStation 4 – has arrived for PC and Mac!

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From today, you can play The Elder Scrolls Online without a subscription.

The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited has arrived for PC and Mac and is available to purchase from the game’s official site.

All existing PC and Mac game accounts have been updated to the Tamriel Unlimited edition so that anyone with an account, open or closed, can jump back to the game without game subscription fees.

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The long-awaited Justice and Champion systems have been added to The Elder Scrolls Online.

The two systems have arrvived as part of Update 6, which also squashes some bugs.

With the Justice System, you can now become a wanted criminal, sneaking, stealing, and even murdering your way through the world. However, guards can and will seek to punish you if your crimes are witnessed.

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Become a criminal, grow more powerful by earning Champion Points, and more in Update 6 for The Elder Scrolls Online. The highly-anticipated Justice and Champion Systems bring you new ways to experience the adventure and progress your characters, and they're just the start. Learn more about the changes in Update 6 on our site, http://elderscrollsonline.com

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Beginning June 9th, you can join your friends on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 to play The Elder Scrolls Online – Tamriel Unlimited… with no game subscription fees! Tamriel Unlimited is arriving on PC/Mac, too – beginning on Tuesday, March 17th. To celebrate the announcement, we’ve released The Confrontation, the final chapter in our thrilling series of cinematic trailers. Watch the stunning conclusion and get ready for Tamriel Unlimited!

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Not quite a year after it launched on PC, Zenimax is dropping the subscription requirement from The Elder Scrolls Online.

To reflect the change, the game's name will be changed to The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited.

Zenimax expects subscription-free play to be available on PC and Mac from March 17, and on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 when the game launches on June 9.

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Updated 9/1 5:37pm:

An EB Games spokesperson has told MCV Pacific: "This is just part of a normal stock recall. Post-Christmas we ask stores to send back anything that they may have too much of in store. This time we included many titles, including The Evil Within, Destiny, and The Elder Scrolls Online."

Original story 9/1 4:19pm:

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Q: How did you feel the launch went? In particular, what could have been better from your perspective?

Sage: Objectively and when looking at the history of MMOs, the launch went smoothly. There has been relatively little downtime and most blocking issues were addressed. In saying that, we have to be really careful. If even one person was hit by a bug or a blocking problem with the service, we understand from that person’s perspective, the launch did not go well. And it wasn’t just one person. From our perspective, we had too many bugs at launch that caused blocking issues for too many people. This is why we found it so important to extend the time included with purchase. We didn’t hit our own expectations, and we want to make sure players always feel like they are our primary concern.

Q: Early on there was a duping exploit that forced you to close guild banks. What was the effect on the economy? How was this addressed?

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The release of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions of The Elder Scrolls Online has been pushed back six months, Bethesda has announced.

The game was to be available on those platforms in June.

In an official statement released this morning, the publisher put the blame on each platform’s online system.

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The Elder Scrolls Online is a curious proposition; a subscription-based MMO set in a world that for the past 20 years has been doggedly singleplayer. The very nature of an MMO dilutes that quintessentially Elder Scrolls feeling that you are a special and unique snowflake, but Zenimax is obviously hoping fans of the series might be coaxed across to massively-multiplayer land thanks to the game's lore, location, and brand. No doubt some will, but so far, it's hard seeing them stick it out for long. If the usual MMO conventions aren't tedious enough for them, unambitious and in some cases flawed design might claim them first.

The main narrative of The Elder Scrolls Online concerns the nefarious schemes of Daedric Prince of domination and enslavement Molag Bal, who is attempting to merge Nirn and Oblivion into a single hellscape. Despite this singular threat, the races of Tamriel have split into three alliances and are squabbling over control of the continent's Imperial City and the White-Gold Tower. That makes little sense, but it does set the scene for the game’s entertaining player-versus-player component.

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The latest patch for The Elder Scrolls Online fixes a number of the game’s buggy quest events, while an upcoming one will distribute loot found in chests more evenly, says Zenimax.

Many playing the game have discovered that some quest givers simply stop responding to the player at certain points, preventing them from completing tasks and reaping the subsequent rewards.

According to Zenimax, this bug has now been squashed in 30 quests across 15 of the game’s zones.

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A ZeniMax-endorsed auction house has sprung up for The Elder Scrolls Online.

The TESO Elite forums allow listings for the buying, selling, and trading of both goods and services within The Elder Scrolls Online.

To get the process started, players simply list an item; whether they want to sell it, trade it, or buy it; the platform and server they are playing on; and their in-game username. There is even a feedback system in place, so dishonest traders can be easily identified.

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A new zone will be introduced into The Elder Scrolls Online at the end of this month, Zenimax Online has announced.

Craglorn will be the game's first adventure zone, and it introduces a new storyline and of course, group questing.

Accessible at Veteran Rank 10, it will include both four-player questing and up-to-12-player trials.

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Craglorn is the first Adventure Zone coming to The Elder Scrolls Online.

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Tamriel faces annihilation. Molag Bal has claimed the Imperial City while the alliances, locked in a bitter conflict with one another, struggle to seize the Ruby Throne from the clutches of Oblivion.

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The Elder Scrolls Online launches today for PC and Mac, and to celebrate the game's release, publisher Bethesda has created a huge infographic of quirky facts related to the game.

The infographic contains all kinds of bizaare information, such as the number of books you can read, how much caffeine fuelled the game's development, and how many mudcrabs you’ll need to kill to reach level 50.

Click on the image below, then hit "full size" in the bottom right, and take a look for yourself.

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MMOs switch from subscription-based to free-to-play due to flaws in the games themselves rather than the subscription model, says Bethesda VP of marketing and PR Pete Hines.

Speaking with GamesOnNet, Hines said that in the majority of cases where the switch has been made, an imbalanced value proposition was the reason.

“It’s about ‘are you giving me my money’s worth for what you’re asking me to pay?’” he said.

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The concept and lore designers at Zenimax Online Studios have released 16 pieces of original art from upcoming MMO The Elder Scrolls Online, and gone into some detail on each.

The Elder Scrolls Online is coming to PC and Mac on April 4, and new-gen consoles in June.

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Zenimax Online will make changes to the new player experience based on feedback gathered over the recent The Elder Scrolls Online beta weekends.

In a blog entry on the game's official website, game director Matt Firor said many players felt "too constrained" by the tightly controlled experience between levels one and 10.

"Because ESO is about choice, we made adjustments to those opening hours of the game in response to the beta feedback. After exiting the modified, more streamlined tutorial in Coldharbour, new characters now wake up in the first major city of their respective Alliance as opposed to being forced to go through the starter islands."

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Crafting in The Elder Scrolls Online enhances your adventures. We follow the journey of a blacksmith, from exploring and gathering materials to creating a special piece of armor. Blacksmithing is just one of the many crafting skills available in ESO.

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This week James, Matt, and Dan discuss Goat Simulator, Nidhogg, Evolve, Infamous: Second Son, The Elder Scrolls Online, Flappy Bird, and more!

00:00    Hello World
01:05    Goat Simulator
02:15    Get a viral buzz goin’
05:00    Dan’s no Kickstarter fan
06:15    Evolve, the latest FPS out of Left 4 Dead studio Turtle Rock [Preview]
14:55    The Elder Scrolls Online [Preview]
25:40    Craziest movie ending ever
28:45    Infamous: Second Son [Preview]
33:05    The Last of Us’ Left Behind DLC [Trailer]
34:00    Nidhogg [Trailer]
38:30    Divekick [Trailer]
40:40    Don’t Starve [Trailer]
42:40    Outlast [Trailer]
50:00    Flappy Bird
54:55    What is making us happy? [Matt, Matt’s other pick, Dan, James]

Outro Song: Goatwhore - "Apocalyptic Havoc"

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Stepping into the frigid lands of 2011’s The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim felt like a brisk blast of fresh air to the casual RPG player. The game-world was one of the more beautiful ever put to screen and the title seethed with quests, characters and coin to scoop up and enjoy. Rather than build another Skyrim for the follow-up, however, Bethesda assembled a new studio, Zenimax Online, to build on the monumental goodwill stoked in Tamriel’s northern snows and drop an MMORPG. A bold move, shifting the ostensibly solitary life and idle fantasies of an Elder Scrolls fan into the world of pay-to-play online turbulence. Over the short course a recent press beta, Gameplanet was able to pull together a couple of characters and experience a slice of what Bethesda hopes will hook players into playing and paying for years to come.

Creating a character in The Elder scrolls Online is a fairly standard Elder Scrolls affair - after picking a race and fiddling with the size of the player’s ears for a while, an allegiance to one of three alliances is picked and out the gate they go. An introductory tutorial mission is run through, something anybody familiar with Skyrim or Oblivion will be able to handle with ease. Once this mission to escape a hellish prision is completed, things start to open up a little, although the early-game progression feels a little narrow.

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In The Elder Scrolls Online, players can choose their own style of play as they embark upon an epic adventure across all of Tamriel, playing alone on heroic quests as in previous Elder Scrolls games, exploring the huge, rich world with a few friends, or joining with hundreds of others in massive PvP battles to save the Empire.

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Bethesda has released a lengthy new cinematic trailer for The Elder Scrolls Online, and announced the content and pricing of the collector’s editions of its MMO.

The new trailer, called ‘The Arrival’, picks up where the previous cinematic trailer left off. Battle between old adversaries is suddenly interrupted by a new inter-planar foe.

Watch it below.

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A PlayStation Plus membership will not be required to play The Elder Scrolls Online on PlayStation 4, Bethesda has announced.

However, those on Xbox One will need an Xbox Live Gold membership to access the game, the company confirmed.

“PS4 players will only be required to pay the same monthly subscription associated with The Elder Scrolls Online that PC and Mac users will pay – nothing more,” wrote Zenimax Online Studios game director Matt Firor on the PlayStation Blog.

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John Cleese, Bill Nighy, and Kate Beckinsale are all lending their voices to characters in The Elder Scrolls Online.

Those four will also be joined by Alfred Molina (Doc Ock in Spider-Man 2) Michael Gambon (Dumbledore in Harry Potter), Lynda Carter (Wonder Woman), and A Clockwork Orange’s Malcolm McDowell.

As detailed by Bethesda Softworks, Cleese plays Cadwell, the cheerful and endearingly mad lost soul who is not afraid of anyone, even a Daedric Prince. Joining the cast as High King Emeric, Bill Nighy portrays a merchant prince whose luck and determination won him the throne. Kate Beckinsale takes on the role of Queen Ayrenn, the leader of the Aldmeri Dominion and Queen of the High Elves who is far more comfortable with a blade than her crown.

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The PC and Mac edition of The Elder Scrolls Online will be released on April 4, 2014, Bethesda has announced. The Xbox One and PlayStation 4 editions will follow in June.

The Elder Scrolls Online will require a subscription of US$14.99 to play.

“Game development is coming along very well,” said game director Matt Firor in a blog post. “We completed major systems development, and are focusing on making this the Elder Scrolls game you expect.”

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The video highlights The Elder Scrolls Online’s PvP system, which allows hundreds of players to fight together, and against one another, in a quest to claim the Ruby Throne.

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This video explores the systems you'll use to build exactly the character you want to play as you explore Tamriel in The Elder Scrolls Online.

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