The Elder Scrolls Online is available for free on Steam, PC, PS4 and Xbox One starting April 1st. No joke! This is the perfect time to get to know one of the best MMORPGs of recent years. Our author Jürgen explains why this is such a great opportunity right now.
This is how successful ESO is: The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) is an MMORPG from Zenimax and it becomes more and more successful and popular year after year. Recently, ESO reached new records on Steam in January and with the upcoming Greymoor expansion, further increases in player numbers are expected. Additionally, ESO has been a staple of the most popular MMORPGs here on MeinMMO for years.
The game is worth it even for you if you don’t have a great interest in MMORPGs. Because there are many contents that can be completed as a solo player.
No April Fool’s – Play ESO for free for 2 weeks
How can I play ESO for free? ESO will be available for free on all supported platforms, namely PC, Mac, Steam, PS4, and Xbox One, starting April 1, 2020, at 4:00 PM CEST. Normally, you would have to purchase the game to access the base game. However, during the offer period, you can download and play the game at no cost.
How long is ESO free? Unfortunately, the free fun has to end at some point, but you can explore Tamriel to your heart’s content until April 13, 2020.
Attention! Unfortunately, the free version on Steam is only available until April 6, 2020.
What is included in the free playtime? If you use the free version, unfortunately you will not get access to all previously released content, such as Elsweyr or Summerset. Only the base game with its 4 classes and 23 zones as well as the base story of the game are accessible to you. But that’s already a lot of content that can’t be finished in just 2 weeks.
Additionally, you can already play the brand new prologue quest for the upcoming Greymoor expansion released on March 30th in the free trial. This allows you to dive into the story of the large Skyrim add-on right now.
Don’t miss the celebrations for ESO’s 6th anniversary, which will also take place during this period.
How can I take advantage of ESO’s free offer? Just go to the link to the Play-Free page of ESO and choose your platform. You can then download the client for free and take advantage of the free playtime.
What happens to my character and progress when the free playtime ends? As with previous free test phases of ESO, your progress will be retained if you decide to purchase ESO at a later point.
How can I continue to play ESO after the free period? If you want to continue playing ESO, you need to purchase the game. A subscription is not required, the game is Buy2Play.
However, Zenimax is offering you a special deal. During a selected period, you can purchase the base game at a 60 percent discount or the Elsweyr expansion along with the base game and the addons Morrowind and Summerset at a 70 percent discount. Depending on the platform, different time periods apply to this offer:
Xbox One
- Standard Edition: March 31 to April 15
- Chapter “Elsweyr”: April 3 to April 15
PlayStation 4
- Standard Edition: April 1 to April 15
- Chapter “Elsweyr”: April 1 to April 15
PC/Mac
- Standard Edition: March 31 to April 15
- Chapter “Elsweyr”: March 31 to April 15
The perfect time for ESO
Why should you play ESO? I, Jürgen, have often noted that ESO is a special MMORPG that stands out in several ways from the competition. Particularly in one area, the Elder Scrolls MMO is something special: You don’t have the typical item spirals found in many MMORPGs. Instead, progress is horizontal.
Since you can visit any area and play with any player at any time regardless of level, faction, and race, even if you are a total newbie and your buddy is a veteran with many levels. Therefore, ESO plays more like Skyrim than World of Warcraft.
Additionally, ESO also offers the unique Elder Scrolls flair. As seen in games like Skyrim, ESO fully draws from the extensive lore of the Elder Scrolls series. There are hundreds of books filled with background information in the game, and hundreds of NPCs narrate what is currently happening in Tamriel, all fully voiced. And you can also play ESO wonderfully without other players. Therefore, it is also ranked number 1 among the top 5 MMORPGs that can be played well solo.
So, those who appreciate story and atmosphere in MMORPGs will surely have a lot of fun with ESO.
That’s why it’s particularly cool that ESO is free now: The free ESO in April comes perfectly. Because of the ongoing Corona pandemic, many players are stuck at home and most activities are canceled. A complex and entertaining MMORPG like ESO is just right to kill time.
Especially for parents, ESO is optimal, as the game can be played comfortably and without pressure. Due to the mentioned accessibility, partners can also easily join in and experience adventures together with you.
And if you are still the only player in the house, you can also quickly complete a quest in ESO without having to first grind for the latest items for the high-end content.
This is also why I – in addition to my new passion for Doom on Stadia – remain loyal to ESO and regularly roam around Tamriel. Just give it a try, it doesn’t cost anything!
- Our author Larissa Then has immersed herself deep in ESO and has discovered a whole new facet of the MMO: There’s so much role-playing in ESO that I can’t get enough of it
