Is the Elder Scrolls Online(eso)worth playing in 2021?

 Have you ever had to grow into your gear? The Elder Scrolls Online has. The Elder Scrolls MMO was not a smash success when it debuted on the heels of Skyrim in 2014. Those first months were rough (just ask players to relive those beta and early experiences and look for the trauma in their eyes). But over time, TESO got better, becoming a rich world that tied together many aspects of the Elder Scrolls universe. It took players back to Morrowind, the most beloved Elder Scrolls setting, and mostly pulled it off. As it grew, the MMORPG's popularity also increased. In early 2021, Bethesda's Pete Hines lauded TESO as "the most successful Bethesda game over the last four years." And this past year was its most popular yet.

While Steam is only one of the platforms The Elder Scrolls Online is available on, its charts show the game's upward trend. April 2020 had the highest average player count ever, and it's consistently averaging higher than previous years. The developers attribute some of this growth to the worldwide pandemic, but not just because people have more time. TESO already had systems and features in place for players to really delve into. A playable map that has doubled in size since launch, customizable in-game housing, and multiple expansions' worth of new quests all contributed to that success.

2020 was a successful year for The Elder Scrolls Online, but it was still a challenging one. Amid the new zones, features, and story of The Year of Skyrim were rough, buggy updates and patches that sometimes caused more problems than they fixed. Stability is still an issue. The devs have committed to making 2021 a less buggy, more stable year for The Elder Scrolls Online as it gets ready to embrace Oblivion.

So, how is The Elder Scrolls Online now?

As an early player who left and returned, the difference between 2014 and now is striking. There is much to do, and you aren't tied to any single path. Folks jumping in now will find a vast number of delves, dungeons, and story arcs to occupy their time as well as crafting, PvP, housing, collections, and different types of treasure hunting. On top of that there are also frequent events with special rewards. Whether you want to wander around exploring Tamriel, smash through dungeons, hunt treasure, play through the many expansive story lines, The Elder Scrolls Online can keep you occupied for a very long time.

One of TESO's strengths is that you don't need to be well-versed in the other Elder Scrolls games to enjoy it, even though it offers fan service for those who are. The latest year-long campaign, The Dark Heart of Skyrim, introduced players to Western Skyrim and a story steeped in murder, secrets, torture, and betrayal.

In the intriguing company of Fennorian (the scholarly vampire from House Ravenwatch) and Lyris Titanborn (a beefcake half-giant Nord), players get to traverse the new area investigating mutant-making magical storms, an icy ghost, and the return of power-hungry ancient evils. The personalities of the companions are a particular highlight, especially an old, clever woman named Mjolen.

What's been happening recently?

• The antiquities system: This addictive non-combat gameplay for treasure hunters-at-heart allows players to scry out and excavate ancient relics via a series of new minigames.
• Kyne’s Aegisis 12-man trial: Players defend the island bastion from invading sea giants in normal or veteran mode; additionally each individual boss has its own hard mode.
• A new item collection system: For those who want more options in their crafting (or just like collecting things), this system lets players collect gear and sets, allowing them to personalize the item when crafting later.
• Vateshran Hollows solo arena: Dungeons lovers who don't love groups can experience the solo arena that offers seven bosses to encounter. There is also one hidden boss in each of the three stages.
• Bethesda is expanding: The studio is currently hiring more developers for TESO, a positive sign for the health of the game.
• Free trials: The studio offers occasional free trials, both of the standard game and of the ESO Plus subscription (which includes perks like temporary access to all DLCs and the unlimited crafting bag that players can draw materials from even after it ends).
• New Flames of Ambition DLC in testing: The Cauldron, a cursed mine dungeon in the upcoming DLC, is on the test server.
• A loss: On a very sad note, Robert A. Altman, the founder and CEO of ZeniMax Media, died in February.

When is the next big update happening?

Bethesda shared the big news for 2021 at a global reveal event on January 26th. The year-long focus for TESO is Gates of Oblivion, and Bethesda called it "an amazing year of daedric destruction." The star of this show will be the Blackwood chapter.