Paid companions as well as extensive PvP adjustments and innovations – these are the core features of the upcoming Update 44 of The Elder Scrolls Online. For various players, that’s not enough.
Update from October 28, 2024: Today, Update 44 is released for the PC/Mac versions of The Elder Scrolls Online. On November 13, 2024, the patches for Xbox and PlayStation will follow. Meanwhile, the developers have released further preview articles on individual features of the free content pack:
- Preview of the new reward system of the Golden Initiatives (via elderscrollsonline.com)
- Preview of the updates and innovations of the skill line and ability styles (via elderscrollsonline.com)
- Preview of everything that changes in the battlegrounds (via elderscrollsonline.com)
What exactly comes with Update 44? Via X, the developers of The Elder Scrolls Online – one of the most successful MMORPGs of the last decade – have updated the list of innovations for the upcoming free patch of the base version of the MMORPG. You can expect:
- 4vs4 and 8vs8 PvP battlegrounds
- 7 new maps for the PvP battlegrounds
- Power-ups for the battlegrounds
- 6 new PvP armor sets
- Curation of item sets from the Imperial City
- 10 percent more alliance points and Tel-Var stones for ESO Plus members
- New Grimoire of the skill line: Banner Bearer
- 2 new companions: Zerith-Var and Tanlorin (for ESO Plus or via Crown Store, via elderscrollsonline.com)
- Additional support for 14 focus scriptures
- 4 new ability styles
- HDR support for PC
- New homes and furniture
- New achievements and titles
- Update of the tutorial
Update 44 is set to be released as a free update on October 28, 2024, for PC and Mac, and on November 13, 2024, for consoles.
This trailer shows what makes Elder Scrolls Online special:
Much Criticism for the New Update
How does the community evaluate the upcoming patch? Under the developers’ post on X, various players have gathered to discuss the quality of the update. First, the rather critical posts:
- Silaf misses the old content update structure of ESO (via X): “Instead of a DLC like Clockwork City, we are getting this …”
- xTalinHawkx writes on X: “This seems to be the one update I do not want as a PVE player and have not requested either. This is mostly just PvP stuff and there is quite a lack of real content that players want. This means: Do better in the future.”
- Colorado9494 feels that the innovations do not go far enough (via X): “Sorry guys, this is not enough. We need more significant changes for PvP.”
- Alex points out the fine print (via X): “The * is very important. The companions are not landing in the game for free with the update, as has been the case each time until now; they are stuck in the Crown Store. I wouldn’t be surprised if you have to pay 3,000 crowns for them.”
However, there are also some positive voices regarding the upcoming patch:
- Eric Scho writes on X: “Two new companions, that’s great.”
- Lala Calamari explains on X: “I am very excited about the PvP update.”
- Redd has a message on X for someone else: “7 NEW BG MAPS 🫢. @Lord_ZelePvP: Will you complain less now?”
How does MeinMMO editor Karsten Scholz evaluate the update and the reactions? In the last interviews, I had repeatedly asked how the new update structure of Elder Scrolls Online is received by the community.
After all, players are now getting “only” a free update that focuses on individual areas of the MMORPG instead of an elaborate but paid story DLC. The answer from my interview partners was each time that they had received a lot of positive feedback regarding the change.
While in the fourth quarter of last year there was a quite successful feature for PvE fans with the Endless Archive, the last update of 2024 will target PvP fans, which usually represents a significantly smaller target audience. In addition, the big highlight for PvE fans, the two new companions, do not belong to the free content. That this causes discontent was, in my opinion, predictable.
However, another innovation from Update 44 was celebrated by many fans after its announcement, which actually only represents a footnote in the patch notes – the comeback of the old tutorial in Coldharbour: “This is the best day of my life” – Players celebrate innovation for the MMORPG of Elder Scrolls
