The free Update 44 has been released for the PC version of The Elder Scrolls Online. MeinMMO had the opportunity to talk with lead combat and PvP designer Brian Wheeler about the new features.
On October 28, 2024, Update 44 is the last major content pack of the year for The Elder Scrolls Online. As last year, the developers are again sticking to the new content strategy, meaning no paid, final story DLC in the last quarter.
Instead, you can expect free improvements and content that will ideally lure you to the servers over a long period of time – like in 2023 with the solo and coop challenges in the Endless Archive.
This time, the new features mainly revolve around the PvP area of the MMORPG, which is why it made sense to talk to lead combat and PvP designer Brian Wheeler about the new update of Elder Scrolls Online.
The official trailer for the battlefields from Update 44 for Elder Scrolls Online:
Criticism of Update 44
MeinMMO reported that the current content patch is being criticized for various reasons:
- The main new features revolve around the heavily revamped PvP battlefields. Due to this clear focus, many players miss out on exciting new developments, which poses a risk for the developers.
- Furthermore, the two new companions – a potential highlight for PvE fans – are offered for purchase through the Crown Store or ESO Plus. Additionally, some players criticize the design of one of the companions (via Reddit).
- Also unfortunate: The new reward system for Golden Goals will only be activated around mid-November (via elderscrollsonline.com).
On Steam, the average rating is 83 percent (all reviews) but drops to 74 percent (last 30 days). We want to know from Brian Wheeler how these criticisms have been received in the team and how he particularly assesses the feedback on the PvP focus.
The developer emphasizes in his response how long it has been since fresh content was delivered to the PvP community. Update 44 is likely to be the largest PvP package since the introduction of battlefields in June 2017 (with the Morrowind chapter).
We are always trying to find a balance in delivering new content that is relevant to as many of our players as possible. And yes, it’s true, there are significantly fewer PvP players out there compared to PvE players. However, our goal is to change that and engage more players from the large pool for PvP.
Many players are concerned that they might get beaten badly in PvP or simply have a frustrating experience. Therefore, our attempt is to make this experience a bit more accessible. […] We just want to bring more people to the battlefields.
Brian Wheeler in interview with MeinMMO
A problem with the old 3-team battlefields was that there was always an enormous pressure on all players, Brian Wheeler continues. One mistake or an action at the wrong time was enough to end up defeated on the ground. This pressure is something they mainly want to remove in the new 8v8 mode of battlefield PvP.
On launch day, the PvP designer was able to play already seven or eight battlefield matches on the live servers. From his experience, the queues for 8v8 were very short, and the first feedback reaching the developers was consistently positive.
Battlefields for a new target audience
With seven new maps and various PvP modes that now need to work for completely different team compositions, optimizing must have been very complicated. We want to know from Brian Wheeler how much time was spent internally and on the public test server testing the battlefields.
The internal tests included checking whether the old maps still work for two teams at all. […] Based on the experiences from these tests, we decided to design entirely new maps for 4v4 and 8v8 respectively. […]
Four of the new maps are designed for 8v8 because we want to offer a PvP experience for a broader audience here. While the 4v4 maps feel much more competitive. We have many in the team who play PvP competitively. […]
During our internal testing, which lasted one and a half to two years, we were able to try out different layouts, map sizes, and much more. And if we take the PTS, there was a lot of good feedback there regarding game modes and queues.
Brian Wheeler in interview with MeinMMO
According to Brian Wheeler, the original plan was to go live with only two queues, one for 4v4 and one for 8v8. However, experiences from the PTS showed that more like four queues are needed: 4v4 (solo), 4v4 (group), 8v8 (solo), 8v8 (group). Accordingly, you will find these four options in the group search at the launch of the update.
That the new power-ups are only available in the 8v8 mode was also clear without large tests. In 4v4, they want to offer the pure, competitive form of battlefield PvP, where skill and the experience of a team ultimately make the difference.
In the 8v8, there is room for unpredictable, chaotic moments where a beginner with the right power-up might catch a veteran off guard, or a healer might suddenly deal lethal damage. For this reason, the 8v8 area is for the developer the optimal place to take a first look at ESO’s PvP.
For the start, I can only recommend 8v8. The experience there differs significantly from Cyrodiil, with siege weapons and large battles … but the more people there are in your team, the easier it is to stay in the background, survive and first assess the situation. […]
And the mode is simply more forgiving of mistakes. Because of the power-ups, you can compensate for weaknesses in your own build or equipment. […] It’s fun, it’s relaxed, and you can earn a lot of new rewards.
Brian Wheeler in interview with MeinMMO
Golden Goals and Cyrodiil
The Golden Goals are set to offer another incentive starting mid-November for players to try out the PvP of Elder Scrolls Online, not just battlefields, but also Cyrodiil or the Imperial City.
However, before the objectives of the goals are finalized and released, the developers want to wait for initial feedback on the battlefield changes from Update 44. No one should be put in a situation where they cannot complete a goal of the Golden Goals due to launch issues.
Lastly, Brian Wheeler reveals that the developers have not forgotten about Cyrodiil at all. When implementing new content, one has to be very careful. Seemingly small changes can have a severely negative impact on the overall performance of the war zone.
However, the PvP designer is a huge fan of the Cyrodiil battles and would love to see the fight for the Imperial City someday adapted into a video game, series, or film: “That would be fantastic, I would love it.” Unfortunately, he has no say in Hollywood. We would be in favor of it. Would you?
How many players are playing ESO?
As a final note, we have an official number for you: According to the Discover page from elderscrollsonline.com, since the launch, a total of 25 million players have played Elder Scrolls Online. In January 2024, it was still mentioned that there were 24 million players.
So, it can be assumed that in the past nine months, nearly a million new adventurers have ventured into Tamriel. However, these are not necessarily active players.
Additionally, it is unclear how many of these players have only tested the regularly occurring “free trial.” Still, it is exciting to see that the ten-year-old MMORPG can continue to attract new players. More information about Update 44 can be found here: MMORPG for Elder Scrolls receives the last update of the year, but not everything that is new is celebrated by the players
