The Elder Scrolls Online
The Elder Scrolls Online, abbreviated ESO, is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed by ZeniMax Online Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. It was released for Windows and macOS in April 2014. It is a part of the Elder Scrolls series. The game is set in the continent of Tamriel and features a storyline indirectly connected with the other games in the Elder Scrolls franchise. It had been in development for seven years before its release in 2014, with a mandatory monthly subscription model. It initially received mixed reviews. Reception improved significantly with the March 2015 re-release and rebranding as The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited, transitioning to a buy-to-play model with microtransactions and an optional subscription. It was released for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles in June 2015, and for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S in June 2021. More than 15 million copies were sold by 2020, having around 2.5 million monthly active players in 2017. Gameplay Gameplay is mostly non-linear, with a mixture of quests, random events, and free-roaming exploration of the world. It does not provide a mode for single-player offline play, although the developers stated that there would be "plenty of content" for online solo play. The player chooses between ten different races: Humans: Nords, Redguards, Bretons, and (with separate purchase) Imperials Elvish races: Dunmer (Dark Elves), Altmer (High Elves), Bosmer (Wood Elves), and Orsimer (Orcs) Bestial races: Khajiit and Argonians Players choose one of seven classes when creating a character: Dragonknight, Sorcerer, Nightblade, Templar, Warden, Necromancer, or Arcanist. Each class gives the player various different attacks, spells, and passive effects. The game has other character choices beyond those of race and class, such as the player character also being able to become either a vampire or a werewolf, each of which grants its own skill tree. There are seven different crafting skill lines: Alchemy, Blacksmithing, Clothier, Enchanting, Woodworking, Provisioning, and Jewelry Crafting. Setting The game is set on the continent of Tamriel during the Second Era, but not all places in Tamriel are playable. The events of the game occur a millennium before those of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and around 800 years before The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Its structure is broadly similar to Skyrim, with two separate conflicts progressing at the same time, one with the fate of the world in the balance, and one where the prize is supreme power on Tamriel. In The Elder Scrolls Online, the first struggle is against the Daedric Prince Molag Bal, who is attempting to meld the plane of Mundus with his realm of Coldharbour, and the second is to capture the vacant imperial throne, contested by three alliances of the mortal races. The player character has been sacrificed to Molag Bal, and Molag Bal has stolen their soul, the recovery of which is the primary game objective. Many parts of the continent of Tamriel are available in the game, with most zones accessible