The Elder Scrolls Online has had quite the journey since its debut in 2014. While the game launched with a fair share of technical issues and an unpopular subscription model, regular updates have turned it into a dramatically different game than what it once was. Now, fans have a new chapter to look forward to, as the next expansion's release date has finally been revealed.
The Gates of Oblivion expansion was revealed a little over a month ago, but fans have gotten little in the way of details since then. However, today during the full Gates of Oblivion reveal stream, Zenimax Online revealed that the new expansion will be releasing on June 1 for PC and Stadia, while Xbox One and PS4 players will get it on June 8.
RELATED: The Elder Scrolls Online: Gates of Oblivion is Walking a Very Fine Line
Just like Elder Scrolls Online's previous expansion, Greymoor, the new story will steadily be rolled out over the course of a year, offering fans new content to explore and locations to visit. All of the game's 2021 content updates will tie into the Gates of Oblivion storyline, furthering the experience as time presses on. Players will face off against Mehrunes Dagon, the antagonist of The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, 800 years before Oblivion takes place.
The content rollout structure will be similar to what fans have seen in the game before. Flames of Ambition, the first update, will release on March 8 for PC and Stadia, while Xbox One and PS4 players get it on March 16. The game's biggest update, which will continue the Gates of Oblivion storyline with an additional 30 hours of content, is Blackwood, a year-long adventure much like Dark Heart of Skyrim. There are two additional content updates coming to the game, a Q3 DLC dungeon pack and a Q4 DLC story zone, but neither have official details or release dates yet.
Gates of Oblivion is currently available for pre-order, which does come with some perks. It's worth noting that some of the editions will not only unlock the base game, but the previous chapters as well, including Greymoor, for those that have been waiting to dive into the game. That content will be available as soon as players purchase it, so there's no need to wait for Gates of Oblivion to unlock older content.
All told, there's quite a bit of content coming to Elder Scrolls Online in 2021. How Zenimax decides to balance Gates of Oblivion with the Oblivion Crisis fans have already played will be interesting to see, but maybe it'll be a chance for the developer to explain away any other discrepancies in the lore that have popped up since Elder Scrolls Online launched.
The Elder Scrolls Online: Gates of Oblivion releases June 1 for PC and Stadia, and June 8 for PS4 and Xbox One.