The MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online will release the new Chapter Necrom on June 5, 2023. One of the highlights is the new class: The Arcanist. MyMMO author MiezeMelli was able to play the new chapter and the Arcanist. What makes it so special, you can find out here.
Players had to wait a long time for a new class. The last class was released with the Chapter Elsweyr, which came out in 2019. Therefore, players often wondered why there was such a long dry spell. In the announcements of the previous chapters, disappointment was often expressed that no new class was introduced to the game.
So what is actually involved in the development of a class in ESO, and what makes the Arcanist so special? I was able to ask the developers exactly these questions and not only caught an interesting insight into the new class and its development but also received answers to many of my other questions.
The global reveal has already stirred excitement. You can learn more about it in this article:
A new class should provide players with a special gaming experience
An important reason for the long pause since the last new class release in ESO was the developers’ requirements for their content, and thus also for a new class. The Necromancer, for example, was well received by the community but didn’t really fit into the story.
Thus, the Chapter Elsweyr was an important lesson for the development of a new class. Although the Necromancer was cool as a class itself, it did not authentically fit into the story. With the Arcanist, the developers therefore aimed for the story and the new class to fit better together.
Furthermore, the new class is supposed to really stand out for players compared to existing classes. There was feedback from the community for both the Warden and the Necromancer that they did not significantly differ from the other classes.
This is mainly due to the fact that each class often uses the same weapon skills, making the rotations very similar. To avoid a new class feeling fundamentally the same as all previous classes, the developers wanted to ensure that the Arcanist truly feels unique in its gameplay.
The Arcanist represents almost 2 years of work
What players often forget is that a lot of work goes into a new class. From the initial idea to the finished class, it could take almost 2 years. That’s why there was such a long pause between the introduction of the Necromancer and the Arcanist.
And of course, a new class also presents new technical challenges, as well as the implementation of sound and graphic effects. Therefore, in the future, there will also be no fixed timelines for new classes, as one might know from the chapters and DLCs.
The Arcanist fits perfectly into the setting of Necrom
But what can one imagine the process from the initial idea to the finished chapter and the finished class to be like? The first thing the developers do is look back at the last chapter. From that, they draw conclusions for the next project.
With the first ideas for Necrom and the Arcanist, they wanted to create the complete opposite starting from the previous Chapter High Isle. According to the developers’ assessment, the setting of High Isle can be classified more in the traditional fantasy realm. The story was comparatively more anchored in reality.
With Necrom, they wanted to take the setting to the exact opposite. Therefore, the first thought was to create a wildly large cosmos with the new chapter. And which Daedric Prince would be better suited for this than Hermaeus Mora?
Starting from this vision, one idea leads to another and finally to the design of a new class.
The Arcanist fulfills the demands of the developers more than adequately
During the hands-on in London, I was able to play the new class. I tend to have a critical view of innovations and changes in ESO, as I have been following the MMORPG since its first days. But this time I must really say: What the developers set out to do, they have accomplished very well.
The Arcanist fits perfectly into the overall package of ESO, as well as ideally into the upcoming Chapter Necrom. Through the innovative gameplay of the Arcanist with the resource “Crux”, the developers also meet the requirement that it feels unique.
Given that some class abilities produce Crux, while others consume this Crux, the class will have a greater focus on these class abilities. It should not, like the other classes, result in a fundamentally similar rotation with many weapon abilities.
Conclusion: With the new class, the developers have struck the perfect balance. On one hand, it feels familiar, which is important for all players who have learned to love the combat system in ESO. At the same time, it is also something completely new, providing variety to the previous classes.
I am curious to see what the Arcanist will look like after its final polish before it comes to the live servers with the release of Necrom! But until then, we will have to wait a little longer.
MiezeMelli
Author at MeinMMO
Until then, you can distract yourself ideally with the ESO events:
You can really earn many rewards there. If you don’t want to miss this and want to stay up to date on ESO events, then visit our ESO Event Ticker. Here you will always find all current information about ESO events.
