With Season 1, The Elder Scrolls Online will receive a new event activity that takes you to the high seas and makes you pirates. The developers have revealed the details on how this plays out.
What do the developers plan for ESO? With the new seasons, the developers of The Elder Scrolls Online are known to want to take more risks and experiment with ideas and unusual content. This includes the event “Tamriel’s High Seas,” which is set to premiere in the next Season 1.
On Twitch, Associate Design Director Mike Finnigan and Lead Narrative Designer Michael Zenke presented this content in more detail and showcased gameplay. Below, we summarize the key insights for you.
Jack Sparrow is calling, wants his ship back
In the first hint of “Tamriel’s High Seas” in January 2026, the developers spoke about introducing world oceans, large ships, and ship battles. This sounded very ambitious for an already extensive MMORPG like ESO.
In April, the developers then specified that ultimately, we can expect “only” an event-based content that is set to bring elements of naval battles, explorations under the sea surface, and encounters in the water under a diver’s helmet.
In the latest stream, the developers emphasize once again that they have never done anything like this before. Player feedback will, therefore, be crucial for what “Tamriel’s High Seas” could become in the future – similar to the current night market.
The event revolves around a quest that highlights Tamriel’s maritime past and will therefore possess a substantial amount of lore and story. If you master this task, you will gain access to your own ship for the duration of the event.
With that, unfortunately, you cannot freely roam the game’s high seas. Instead, it functions as a sort of base from which you can embark on treasure hunts in an instantiated area in a Daily Quest fashion. The ship gives off some “Pirates of the Caribbean” vibes, having lain long in the depths of the sea, overgrown with coral and seaweed.
From time to time, the ship will also be attacked by hostile pirates. You must fend off the attack and undertake repairs to prevent your mobile base from sinking again. You will have catapults at your disposal to fire back at the attackers. According to the developers, this challenge is very playable solo, but you can also team up with friends.
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
If you succeed in fending off the attacker, the next part of the event starts: Using a Dwemer diving bell, you reach the underwater area of “Tamriel’s High Seas”. Upon reaching the bottom, you can exit the bell – a magical oxygen bubble ensures that you do not drown and get crushed by the pressure of the depths.
Moreover, thanks to it, you can move relatively normally underwater. You are a bit slower and can perform a kind of moon jump in the depths. However, the developers do not simulate a real water level with battles where you swim sluggishly through the water. Your bubble can, however, burst. Fortunately, you can create a new bubble at certain locations.
Underwater, you will encounter not only hostile creatures but also various other stuff like messages in bottles, jumping puzzles, and the previously mentioned treasures. Through the associated Daily Quest, you can make the depths unsafe daily during the event duration.
Through the event, you can earn various cosmetics and furnishing items for your home, including the diving bell, a fish bowl, or a crab basking on a rock.
Season 1 and Update 51 are set to go live sometime in the summer, with the debut on the test server likely planned for July. It won’t be long before you can try out the event yourself. Are you excited? Or did you expect more after the first announcement? Feel free to let us know in the comments. You can find out more about the future of the MMORPG here: Elder Scrolls Online is reshaping its future, but the most exciting innovation awaits until late 2026
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