The Elder Scrolls Online fully shifts to Seasons, with new story, reworks, and quests across 2026 — and most new content will now be free

One of the longer-running games in the Bethesda Softworks umbrella is getting a major shake-up, with The Elder Scrolls Online fully embracing a shift into a seasonal model. While the team at ZeniMax Online Studios was already experimenting with this shift last year, it's now being fully embraced, with regular seasons and a complete rethink of how new quests, zones, and more are added to the game.

During a recent Q&A ahead of Wednesday's livestream, I had the chance to listen to game director Nick Giacomini and executive producer Susan Kath discuss how The Elder Scrolls Online is changing across 2026.

First up, Kath indicates that most new playable content will now be free for all players who own the base game or are playing through a subscription like Xbox Game Pass.
Prior expansions will be folded into the base experience for The Elder Scrolls Online as the Seasons progress.

Per Giacomini, the team is focused on "resilience and transformation," and is trying to provide a far more transparent approach to updates and planning than has been given to players in the past. Each season will last for three months, with Season 0 kicking off in the spring and adding the Dark Brotherhood, Imperial City, Orsinium, and Thieves Guild to the main game.

Season 0 brings a limited-time event called the Night Market, which may stick around for longer if it's well-received by players. This is described as a group event zone, with differing factions to aid in exchange for special rewards, including a new house.

Promised reworks are also being included, starting with Season 0, with the Dragonknight class. The Two-Handed skill lines and the Werewolf are all getting a significant rebalance and visual refresh.

Looking ahead, Season 1 will bring new story quests and Thieves Guild-related content, as well as a new quest involving Sheogorath. Meanwhile, Season 2 will see the Greymoor expansion (which added the province of Skyrim) added to the main game. Additional rebalancing and visual reworks will be spread throughout these seasons and beyond.

A team at ZeniMax Online Studios is also hard at work on cross-play, though players shouldn't expect this to arrive anytime soon.

For players interested in earning more special stuff, The Elder Scrolls Online is getting a battle pass-esque system called Tamriel Tomes. Completing weekly and seasonal challenges unlocks new pages with new rewards. Seals of Endevaour, armor, weapon styles, and more will be included.

The Elder Scrolls Online is currently available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Mac. It's also included in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

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