MeinMMO editor Benedikt Schlotmann has played The Elder Scrolls Online solo for over 10 years. However, one experience showed him that you can rely on the community when you need help. Especially when an event in solo mode becomes impossible.
I have been playing the MMO “The Elder Scrolls Online” now for 10 years, sometimes more or less active: I started a little before the transition to no subscription (March 2015) and have since spent hundreds of hours in the world of Tamriel.
I have played the MMO almost exclusively as a solo RPG over the past 10 years, with a few short exceptions that I can count on one hand. Many improvements in recent years have continued to encourage me to play ESO as a solo RPG, like the new companions, which make dungeons significantly easier.
Only with the new event “Night Market” have I really started playing Elder Scrolls Online as an MMO again. On the one hand with a friend, with whom I have been regularly adventuring in-game for the past 6 weeks, and on the other hand at the Night Market. And here I had one of the best experiences in recent years.
The Night Market is designed for large groups, not for solo players like me
The event around the Night Market started on April 29, 2026, and entices with numerous rewards. However, for dailies and quests, you inevitably need a large group, as you simply have no chance solo. Especially for certain collectibles, you have to defeat all bosses at least once.
In the end, after a few days, I was still missing a single Splinter to complete a collectible. And these Splinters only drop with guarantee from the bosses, except for two exceptions. Unfortunately, the boss I needed was dead faster than I could resurrect, and therefore I couldn’t land a hit to be involved in the kill.
And then the surprising happened: I asked the group if they could help me again to take down the missing boss. And indeed, the entire 12-person group walked with me across half the map again to help me with the enemy. Even though I died multiple times on the way to the boss, the group still waited for me and had patience with me and my constant failures.
After the defeated boss, another player privately messaged me and asked if I needed help anywhere else. I found that a very nice gesture personally, and it’s happened to me only once in Lord of the Rings: Online. I encountered such willingness to help there as well.
The major weakness of the new Night Market event is also clearly noticeable: many players eventually just run across the map, complete their tasks, and then disappear again. The number of players in the areas varies greatly, and sometimes it can take a while to find a suitable group.
A developer emphasized on Steam, “A well-equipped solo player can also handle most of this content,” but that is not the case for the majority of players.
The Elder Scrolls Online will undergo significant changes in 2026. This includes not only a new battle pass model but also further changes and improvements. Some of them have already occurred, such as certain DLCs now being free for all players. Others will follow throughout the year. You can read more about it at MeinMMO: Elder Scrolls Online is reshaping its future, but the most exciting innovation will only arrive at the end of 2026
Your opinion is important to us!
Do you like the article? Then let us know!