We asked the developers of The Elder Scrolls Online about the chances of a sequel to their MMORPG. So a “The Elder Scrolls Online 2”. The answer was clear.
During an interview about the new content in the upcoming ESO expansion Elsweyr and the Season of the Dragon, we also asked Creative Director Rich Lambert about a potential successor to The Elder Scrolls Online.
Will there ever be a “The Elder Scrolls Online 2”?
MeinMMO: Have you ever thought about making a new MMO? So to speak, ESO 2? Or will you stay loyal to the same game for now?
Rich: [Laughs] We are still working on ESO and finishing it. It’s our 5th anniversary, you know? At launch, no one would have predicted such a long lifespan for us, and now here we are, stronger than ever.
MeinMMO: Okay, so you don’t have a successor planned?
Rich: Why would we? Right now, since ESO is so strong?
MeinMMO: No MMORPGs from big (Western) publishers have been released for years. What is the reason, and do you see that as an advantage for ESO?
Rich: Games like ESO and the other major MMORPGs are really hard to make. And there’s no guarantee that all the effort will pay off in the end.
On a macro level, such projects are a risk. And many publishers are rather risk-averse.
Therefore, many plan a smaller game with less scope, which entails less risk and can be produced faster. That’s probably the reason why no new MMORPGs are being released right now. Out of the desire not to take too many risks.
MeinMMO: That’s actually an advantage for ESO, isn’t it?
Rich: We have already established the architecture and processes, yes. But we continuously need to improve, adjust things, and enhance performance. However, we can build on our foundation, which puts us in a very advantageous position.
Consoles could become a problem in the future
Rich Lambert’s statement about a successor is therefore clear. Currently, there seems to be no need to change the successful concept of ESO.
Even in our stream for the reveal of the new Elsweyr expansion, there was no mention of replacing the game with a successor anytime soon. Instead, work will continuously focus on performance improvement and keeping the game fresh.
However, our studio guest Kai Schober, German Community Manager of ESO, stated that the technical limits of current consoles like the PS4 and Xbox One could eventually become an issue.
But how this problem will be solved later remains to be seen. Currently, ESO runs smoothly on all platforms, aside from the current performance issues in PvP.
