In The Elder Scrolls Online it has now been almost a month since the latest chapter Blackwood was released. But how is the new expansion being received by the fans and what has changed in the game? We at MeinMMO have looked into it for you.
How did the launch go? To the great surprise of the community, everything actually went smoothly this time. The launch of Blackwood came with a big online show and the new chapter was implemented without problems and difficulties. After the fiasco in 2020 with the Greymoor launch, this was all the more pleasing.
Unfortunately, the time after the launch of Blackwood was not completely free of problems.
What has happened in the month since the launch?
How are the player numbers? The developers do not publish any concrete numbers, but if you look at the numbers on Steam (via Steamcharts), you can see a clear increase. ESO was played by an average of 21,232 players simultaneously over the last 30 days (as of June 30, 2021). This is an increase of over 11 percent compared to the previous month, when only about 18,000 players were online on average.
What problems were there? However, there was still one significant problem, as the stylish PS5 performance and graphics update could not be implemented for many users. A disc was required, which many users did not have, as they used a digital version. However, thanks to the efforts of Bethesda and Sony, a workaround was found and finally a fix.
How were the new features received?
How were the companions received? The big new feature of Blackwood was not a new class, but NPC companions that are supposed to assist you in your quests. The companions had a hard time from the start, as most players had expected a class and were therefore disappointed. Even after release, the companions do not quite catch on. While various fans praise the sayings of the companions and the feeling of not being alone.
However, the NPCs are probably only truly useful for new players. Those who are further along do not really need them and often feel bothered by them. Therefore, some players do not even bother to unlock both companions.
Other players would like to take the companions with them more often if they could at least customize them. Because as it stands now, countless clones of the same two characters are running around Tamriel alongside the players.
How do the new Oblivion portals play? A new addition that is better received is the new world events called Oblivion portals. Their gameplay has not only excited our MeinMMO author Alexander Leitsch. Because unlike with storm events or dragons, here you can achieve something with smaller groups and not just have a large mass fight, but a path with several bosses that you fight through to reach the final big boss.
What was the deal with the new super-item? A sustainable impact on the game has the new mythical item “Harpooner’s Watkilt”. It is incredibly powerful and everyone wants it. However, to obtain it, one must undertake a tedious grind for traces, which has frustrated many players in turn. If you want to try: Our author MiezeMelli has written a guide on how to get the Harpooner’s Watkilt.
What updates have come? In mid-June, an update to Update 30 was released, which formed the basis of Blackwood. It contained a highly anticipated new feature that allows you to earn premium items from loot boxes without spending real money. However, the grind to obtain these “endeavors” is enormous.
How did the new raid go? The new trial (that is what raids are called in ESO) is named Felshain and has already been conquered. The guild Calamity completed the instance worldwide as the first in a speedrun, hard mode, and without anyone dying. You can find the video of the raid here.
What the fans are saying
These are the positive voices: The feedback from fans is largely positive. In a survey in the German forum, a large portion of respondents were clearly of the opinion that it was a successful new chapter. We have collected some of the voices from the community for you:
- Hämähäkki: “So, I am definitely more satisfied compared to Greymoor. Except for a few minor bugs, I haven’t noticed anything wild.”
- Shadow_CH: “I really like the main story, the area is beautifully done, and the dungeons and delves are great! I was even pleasantly surprised by the companions (it probably depends on what expectations you had of them). I particularly like the numerous random encounters in this area that bring more life to it. I also like the Oblivion portals because they provide a real change from dolmens / geysers / dragons / storm events. Most of the bugs don’t bother me much since we’ve experienced far worse (I’m looking at you, Markarth).”
This is a negative contribution: However, not everyone likes the new chapter. The negative voices are clearly in the minority, but the comment from user PhalasSP represents the criticism of the chapter:
The quest scope for a full-price add-on is rather a joke. And players complain about the content of a WoW expansion? They are at least 10 times as comprehensive and that without the patches that follow.
Not even a 5-man dungeon made it into the regular add-on, only into the pre-DLC. No new arena, etc. How can anyone be excited about that?
After not even 6 hours, all quests in the Dark Forest were done. Again, no item level adjustment. And apart from the last quest, all were presented like 08/15 in terms of quests. I think in today’s time one can expect better.
What should one even farm in the new add-on? Apart from furnishing items and crafting styles, everything is useless. But maybe ESO only aims to become a P2Collect game and progress and end content, etc. do not matter to them. You can see this well in the item level system …
The game seems only to be there to collect and buy crafting styles and furnishing items.
The ultimate compendium for ESO Blackwood
148 pages of guides for new and returning players, including a free extra: ESO base game, Morrowind, and a 25% discount on Blackwood at Gamesplanet.
What is still to come throughout the year
These are the further plans for 2021: As every year, the chapter Blackwood is part of a larger story arc that is told in a total of 4 phases. Phases 1 and 2 have already been completed. In the 3rd quarter of 2021, the DLC Waking Flame is coming with two more dungeons where the story continues.
The grand finale awaits you in the 4th quarter. It will go to the “Deadlands”, the realm of the archvillain Mehrunes Dagon.
More info on the upcoming DLCs and content in ESO can be found here.
