Despite losing a staggering amount of staff in a recent layoff, developer ZeniMax Online Studios (ZOS) has reiterated that The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) is “here to stay,” and the team has dropped a new roadmap to prove that more content is still coming to the popular MMORPG.
In a July 30 news post on ESO’s official website, game director Nick Giacomini outlined what you can expect from the MMORPG in 2026 and 2027. Many of the most anticipated changes, such as the combat and class refresh and Update 52, have been pushed to next year to focus on “quality experiences over calendar dates.”
In acknowledging the disappointment this may cause, Giacomini confirmed ESO has a slew of new content still coming for the rest of this year. This includes Update 51 (which launches on September 28 instead of September 21 as part of season one) and its new challenge, quality-of-life improvements, and game system. Then on October 21, season two comes out with the introduction of solo dungeons, Tamriel Tome improvements, and free DLC.
In short, it’s a great time to either get into ESO or come back to the MMORPG. And I speak from experience as, having fallen off the game about a year after it launched but recently picked it back up because of boredom, it feels better and livelier now.
“We’ve had bumps in the road over our 12-year history that we’ve always faced together,” Giacomini said. “As our studio evolves, we are not looking to just ‘maintain’ the game. We are looking to grow it. You, our community, are the reason we have grown over the years, and we want to keep growing with you.”
You can check out ESO’s full content roadmap in the bullet list below, alongside pictures illustrating what’s to come soon.
Coming To ESO In 2026
Season One
- Update 51 will now launch one week later, on September 28, and it will include:
- A new challenge: The Nowhere Vault
- A new game system: Rumors
- Player experience improvements: Achievement pinning, Customizable HUD (on keyboard platforms), Hybridization, Antiquities improvements, Transmute Stations in Cyrodiil, and multiple quality-of-life updates like Housing Tab Sorter, Quest Starter Language, and Eidetic Memory improvements
- Everything else in Season One will run as planned, along with a few additions to thank you for your patience:
- Live now: New Sheogorath story quests and Golden Pursuit
- August 5-12: Whitestrake’s Mayhem event
- August 20-September 17: A brand-new Golden Pursuit campaign called “Straight to the Crate,” where you can earn up to 20 free Crown Crates
- September 30-October 14: The new High Seas of Tamriel event
- And three-sided Battlegrounds will return permanently on September 28, with Update 51 .
Season Two
- Launching October 21, 2026, Season Two will feature:
- Solo Dungeons: Moon Hunter Keep and March of Sacrifices.
- To celebrate the launch of Solo Dungeons, we’ve decided to make the group versions of these dungeons free for all players on October 12, 2026.
- The Greymoor Chapter and Markarth DLC will become free for all players on November 9, 2026.
- We’re adding a new Golden Pursuit to highlight Skyrim and the (now available to everyone) Antiquities system from November 9 to December 2.
- Improvements to the Tamriel Tome, including expanded Challenges for broader playstyles, higher Tome Point rollover cap, and more.
- Frost Atronach crate rewards will be available in the Gold Coast Bazaar.
- Witches Festival and the New Life Festival events will return as usual.
Coming To ESO In 2027
- The new trial, Crimson Veldt. We’re pushing boundaries with this trial, including mounted combat that we think you’ll love, and we simply need more time to ensure the experience exceeds your expectations.
- Update 52 will move to January of 2027. We expect this to include the launch of the Jerall Pass PvP zone and Skyrim’s Dynamic Encounters: Rimegales.
- For the Class and Combat refresh, we are targeting 2027 for the next refresh. However, we are discussing some interim options for the classes still awaiting their full refresh to improve your player experience in the meantime.
