The Elder Scrolls Online: plans for 2026 revealed, with the arrival of the Seasons
The heart of this announcement lies in the new seasonal structure: each season will last three months and, news that will surely please the community, will make all the new gameplay content accessible for free to anyone who owns the base game. Whether it's new zones, dungeons, stories, classes, or skill branches, we no longer have to face additional costs to keep up with updates, so we can discover what's new together with all the other players. To support this model, "Tamriel Tomes" will be introduced, a Battle Pass-like system that will grant free rewards for everyone and an optional paid track for those who want additional unlockables.
The new course will begin on April 2, 2026 with Season Zero, entitled "Dawn and Dusk". For the first time in the title's history, the launch will take place simultaneously on Xbox and PC, with the season running until July 8, 2026. The centerpiece of this period will be the "Event Zone Night Market", an area located in the realm of Fargrave's Oblivion accessible for seven weeks. Here we will have to choose one of three factions available to compete in a PvE tournament; a choice that will guarantee high replayability, since the Event Zones will return in future seasons allowing us to explore the stories of the other factions.
Even before the season begins, Update 49 coming on March 9 will bring a breath of fresh air thanks to the work of a new internal team dedicated exclusively to "Quality of Life". Among the planned improvements, we will finally be able to reassign attributes and skills directly from the interface without spending in-game currency, enjoy reduced time to level up riding skills and take advantage of less restrictive furniture limits for half of the available houses.
The combat system will also receive important updates. The Dragonknight class will undergo both an aesthetic and functional overhaul of the main branches, as well as the animations for two-handed weapons will be updated. Later in the season, the Werewolf will also be the subject of a facelift that will include the introduction of the highly anticipated women's model. For veterans looking for challenges, the "Challenge Difficulty" will be introduced, to face content in more difficult versions with better rewards, and the "Vengeance" system for PvP, which will offer new ranks and passive skills.
Finally, ZeniMax offered a look at what awaits us during 2026 after Season Zero: the roadmap includes new missions for the Thieves Guild, the return of Sheogorath, a new Trial for the endgame, dungeons designed for solo play and an unprecedented event on the high seas. We just have to wait for April to dive into this new era of The Elder Scrolls Online!