ZeniMax Online Media announced The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom during the Xbox & Bethesda Developers_Direct on January 25, with the expansion set to be released next June. The MMORPG's ongoing saga will next take players to the self-titled city of Necrom, better known as the city of the dead.
Located in eastern Morrowind's Telvanni peninsula, this region will serve as the grounds for Bethesda to materialize one of the most repeated requests by fans: a new playable class. This upcoming class will be called the Arcanist, and it will introduce new combos into the MMO's gameplay loop. The Arcanist class will let players make pacts with dark forces to use all kinds of magic and spells, some of which have never seen before.
Elder Scrolls Online: Arcanist's Crux Combo System
The introduction of new classes is rare in The Elder Scrolls Online, as since launch only two have been added. The big new feature of this class, as seen in the global reveal livestream that came out following the Developer_Direct, is that the Arcanist will introduce a unique combo system called Crux. Within this system, some skills will accumulate Crux after being cast, while other skills can spend that collected material to give the Arcanist extra bonuses and augments during combat.
Some of these bonuses include enhanced healing, protection, or damage. However, players can save up to three Crux to spend at once and unleash powerful combos. The developer has ensured that the class will be easy to understand for new players, but can also be enjoyed by those looking for a deeper, more tactical side to their ESO character.
At first glance, the class seems to have some similarities with the previously released Necromancer in The Elder Scrolls Online, which boosts its abilities through the use of Corpses. But Arcanist takes a slightly different approach, so it will be interesting to see how this affects the class gameplay and whether it leaves a major impact on the MMO's meta.
The Arcanist Brings New Abilities and Skills to The Elder Scrolls Online
The Arcanist will also handle forbidden magics through three different skill lines: Herald of the Tome, Apocryphal Soldier, and Healing Runes. Each of these will focus on different aspects of the game, depending on whether the player wants to be more offensive, defensive, or act as a support character.
The abilities shown in the aftermath of the Xbox and Bethesda Developer_Direct have beautiful visual effects, which will no doubt entice many players to come back to the game. One of the abilities shown in the livestream, the Apocryphal Gate, allows players to open a pair of portals for additional mobility or during exploration of dungeons. Another ability will be the Abyssal Impact, with which the Arcanist will summon tentacles from the abyss to launch against enemies.
As usual in this type of expansion, there will also be new companions coming to The Elder Scrolls Online. One of them is an Argonian Guard with a dark past and a taciturn personality whose trust will be hard to earn. The second companion is a Red Guard Arcanist who is described as a sort of father figure, but who also has a chaotic side. Hopefully this addition gives players a good idea of exactly what they can expect should they decide to try out this new class once Necrom launches.
The Elder Scrolls Online is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.