Zenimax Online has announced the new year-round adventure “Gates of Oblivion” and the expansion “Blackwood” for the MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO). However, the community has responded rather reservedly to the announcement of the new content 20221. We take a look at what is going on.
What was announced? “Gates of Oblivion” tells a new story in the world of the MMORPG ESO. This begins with the DLC pack “Flames of Ambition” on March 8 for PC and Stadia, and on March 16 for PS4/PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
The new expansion Blackwood follows on June 1 for PC and on June 8 for consoles. Two additional DLCs are planned, which will conclude the story.
The story revolves around the Daedric Prince Mehrunes Dagon and a failed pact with a Longhouse Emperor, after which players are to defuse 4 weapons of mass destruction.
You explore new game areas, receive NPC companions by your side, explore portals into the realm of Oblivion and experience a revamped tutorial.
The Big Hype About ESO Blackwood Is Still Missing
How was the announcement received by ESO fans? There are many positive but also some negative voices. It is generally apparent that the hype is currently missing. This is also indicated by a survey started by players in the official forum of The Elder Scrolls Online.
We at MeinMMO would also like to hear your opinion on this:
Fans Are Waiting for More Details
What do the players think? Some simply lack more information, especially about endgame in PvE/PvP and how the new servers are supposed to improve performance.
In addition, some felt that the livestream was too focused on questing and selling merchandise. What has been shown so far about “Gates of Oblivion” and Blackwood is not enough to trigger excitement. Zenimax still needs to step up.
Here are some voices from the community:
- Toshiro-Madara Mink writes on Facebook: “I find the companions really great. Then my tank can also quest alone and I’m not completely solo.”
- Markus Simeth, on the other hand, says on Facebook: “I find the companions completely unnecessary with the potential to really annoy me when they are visibly loitering in the cities. I’m somewhat skeptical about the CP system, but so far not enough has been shown to form a precise opinion. The armor changes are pretty terrible to be honest, ranging from useless to “4-7%” more magic damage against the tank while simultaneously increasing dodge roll costs, a.k.a. direct nerf. The story content and such looks reliably solid, but after the rather disappointing Greymoor, I would have preferred more novelty and less “Look, that’s the Daedra from Oblivion back then, you know, you know?” nostalgia factor…”
- Konstantin Pantuschky writes on Facebook: “I find the trailer more than successful and the changes to the CP system look good at first glance. However, if the companions trigger adds or bosses like previous companions, then I don’t find that good.”
- Welven says in the official forum of ESO: “Until they show more, I’m waiting until it’s half price or [until it’s] added to ESO+.”
- rumple9 is quite angry (via ESO forum): “The whole stream was just a merchandise advertisement. There was hardly any info about the expansion, no gameplay, just artwork.”
- CptnHero on MeinMMO is also very ambivalent about Blackwood: “I think the tutorial rework is good, the new trial is nice, the story as always… but companions? What the hell? I just don’t see any value in that. I mean, I oneshot everything in 95% of the content without even playing meta. The champion point rework has been long awaited… I’m curious.”
- For Horteo on MeinMMO, the expansion is a must-buy anyway: “Will buy, even if it doesn’t trigger excitement. The time I spend in ESO is worth the investment. ESO is an MMO that I always play in weekly intervals and then take breaks.”
So what is the problem? The problem is less about the new content. Of course, it’s always a matter of taste whether players find a story good and new features like companions may not appeal to everyone. Rather, fans would have preferred more in-depth information about “Gates of Oblivion” to better assess the innovations and content.
And there remains a bit of skepticism regarding the new servers. Because ESO has been plagued by performance issues for so long that players simply want to wait and see if the new measures really bring any improvement.
Want to read more news, community stories, and guides about ESO? You can find these on our ESO topic page.
