Following mass layoffs at Xbox that hit The Elder Scrolls Online developer ZeniMax Online Studios quite hard, the studio has now outlined its plans for the MMORPG moving forward. In a letter to the community, game director Nick Giacomini – who is taking over the role from Josh Henderson – has expressed optimism about the future of the game. Development will also continue with the team working more closely with Bethesda Game Studios.
Kicking the letter off, Giacomini acknowledged the fact that the roadmap it had previously laid out for a seasonal content model for The Elder Scrolls Online would be difficult following the layoffs. To address this, the team is giving itself some more time to establish its pipelines again. This means that some of the planned features for the game are being pushed to 2027. This includes the new Crimson Veldt trial, Update 52, and a Class and Combat refresh.
“Instead of rushing to hit a previously announced deadline, we are giving our teams the runway they need to do things right. Some of our upcoming additions, like the Class and Combat Refresh and our new Trial, are highly complex, and we want to ensure they hit the mark before we put them in your hands,” he explained.
“We know it’s disappointing to see some features move out, and believe me, we want to get these into your hands as soon as possible, too. But we believe this is the right move for the long-term health of the game.”
As for 2026, Update 51 has been delayed to September 28th, and will bring with it a new challenge in the form of The Nowhere Vault, the new Rumors game system, and general quality-of-life and UI enhancements, like more options for HUD customization, adding more Transmute Stations in Cyrodiil, and the ability to pin Achievements. In the meantime, the ongoing first season of the MMO – Return of the Thieves Guild – will go ahead as planned along with a few additions.
Currently, players can take on the new Sheogorath story quests and Golden Pursuit. August 5th will see the start of the Whitestrake’s Mayhem event, which will end on August 12th. August 20th to September 17th will feature a new Golden Pursuit campaign dubbed Straight to the Crate, which will reward players with 20 free Crown Crates. From September 30th to October 14th, players will be able to take on the High Seas of Tamriel event. Finally, Update 51 on September 28th will mark the permanent return of three-sided Battlegrounds.
Season 2, starting on October 21st, will also go ahead as planned, bringing with it new solo dungeons Moon Hunter Keep and March of Sacrifices, a new Golden Pursuit focused on the region of Skyrim, and other improvements. Along with this, October 12th will see group versions of solo dungeons made free for all players. November 9th will also mark the Greymoor Chapter and Markarth DLC becoming free for everyone.
“Moving forward, our principles are simple: we will continue to build fun and rewarding experiences through our Seasonal model, deliver long-standing player-requested features and changes that make Tamriel more fulfilling, and find new ways to provide you with features and content to keep your adventures fresh,” wrote Giacomini.
