In the fantasy MMO The Elder Scrolls Online there may soon be arenas and battlegrounds. Ahead of the E3 presentation from Zenimax, a fan has already been able to take a look at the ESO booth. What he discovered there is causing a stir and exciting the fans.
There are only two pixelated screenshots that have appeared on reddit, but apparently, there is some truth to it. A special 3v3 mode, as reported by the reddit member, was reportedly being tested when he walked by the ESO booth. Upon asking what it was and if it would be coming to the game soon, he was told it was planned for E3.
The mode seems to resemble a capture-the-flag arena, as is common in other games. A kind of flag was placed in the middle of the arena, which the players competed for. According to the Redditor, it looked like a lot of fun.
The lack of PvP modes outside of the large battleground of Cyrodiil is a sensitive topic among ESO fans. While some are satisfied with this decision, others vehemently demand the introduction of arenas or battlegrounds. Some even go so far as to make their continued play dependent on the introduction of such modes.
So far, there has been no signal from Zenimax to move in this direction. With the presentation that has now surfaced, that could change.
An employee from Zenimax has posted in the Reddit thread, but neither denied nor confirmed the matter. It is now only known that Brian Wheeler, the head of ESO’s PvP, will be present at the E3 gaming fair. Fans conclude that an announcement regarding PvP may be imminent. Console players, currently probably the most attractive target group for The Elder Scrolls Online, might be more excited about arenas or a smaller battleground, as is common in shooters.
As soon as more details become known, we will share them.
Update on 12.6.: Now the official statement from Zenimax has been released. The arena mode presented at E3 was specifically designed for trade fairs to give spectators and players a quick match insight into the combat system of TESO.
As The Elder Scrolls Online is a continuously evolving game, it is indeed possible to bring a type of “small-scale” PvP into the game if enough players demand it.
In this YouTube video, you can see the mode in action:
