Exciting changes are on the horizon for The Elder Scrolls Online, as the developers have announced two major updates that will significantly impact the game. During the final episode of The Elder Scrolls Online Podcast, they confirmed the long-awaited addition of crossplay and outlined plans to address Overland difficulty. These updates are expected to enhance the community experience and improve gameplay for all players.
Crossplay Confirmed: A Game-Changer for ESO
The first news is the long-awaited confirmation that crossplay is coming to The Elder Scrolls Online. After years of requests, this feature was confirmed by Rich Lambert and Matt Firor during the fourth and final episode of The Elder Scrolls Online Podcast. This is one of the biggest updates in years, as the community has been asking for it for a long time. During the podcast, they mentioned that crossplay is actively in development, aiming to unite the PC and console communities.
This change is monumental, considering ESO has operated on separate platforms for nearly a decade. Crossplay means that players on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation will finally be able to join forces in dungeons, trials, PvP, and questing across Tamriel. Rich Lambert noted that achieving this goal is a priority for the team, and the backend work is complex but underway.
Why Crossplay Matters
While no specific release date for crossplay has been announced, it is a top priority for the engineering team. This shift will significantly increase player activity and pool size, improving dungeon queues and allowing guilds to recruit from multiple platforms. Friends separated by different systems will finally be able to play together.
Interestingly, the recent addition of console mods may help level the playing field between PC and console players, paving the way for crossplay.
Overland Difficulty: A Long-Awaited Challenge
The second big announcement is that the dev team is finally addressing the long-standing issue of Overland content being too easy. In a recent Q&A, Jason Barnes, a Zone Lead Designers, confirmed that plans are underway to enhance Overland difficulty. This is a significant development for players who have been seeking more challenging content.
Overland content includes quests, delves, public dungeons, world bosses, and zone stories, and it's where most players spend their time. Unfortunately, many experienced players find this content lacks challenge, as enemies can be defeated with minimal effort, diminishing immersion and engagement.
While the specifics of the solution are still unclear, it could involve optional difficulty settings or new zones with increased challenges. Current systems like veteran difficulty in dungeons could inform these changes, but developers must ensure they do not alienate new players.
Why Now? The Timing of These Changes
The timing of these changes may be influenced by ESO's shift from static yearly updates to a more flexible seasonal update cycle, allowing the team to focus on quality-of-life improvements based on player feedback. Additionally, with Microsoft now owning Zenimax, there may be more resources available to implement crossplay.
As the developers gather more survey data on player preferences, they seem to be shifting their focus toward making the game that players want rather than solely their vision.
Share Your Thoughts!
What do you think about these upcoming changes? Are you excited about crossplay and the potential for more challenging Overland content? Or do you have concerns about how these updates might impact the game? Share your thoughts in the comments below the video!
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