Elder Scrolls Online console players are finally getting their crack at the unexcitingly named Update 44 today as the update that’s been live on PC since October finally rolls out on Xbox and PlayStation.
As we’ve been covering, U44 includes two new companions (free for sub players or purchased through the cash shop for F2P players), updates to the scribing system introduced earlier this year with Gold Road, and the new Golden Pursuits reward track, but the core content here is really a massive revamp of PvP. ZeniMax Online Studios has retooled the MMO’s PvP battlegrounds to appeal to a wider range of players from casual to hardcore, with new maps and new match sizes, as well as a proper leaderboard.
The news comes just as ZeniMax Workers United – the ZeniMax union governing multiple Bethsoft branches within Microsoft – announced a strike, specifically to pressure Microsoft to bargain over its demands. Microsoft has slashed several thousand jobs in is games division this year and shut down multiple ZeniMax teams all while carrying out massive stock buybacks and continuing to hunt for more things to buy.
“Today, we are on strike,” union reps tweeted. “We are not afraid to do what’s necessary to make sure that Microsoft meets us at the bargaining table over key issues like remote work options and outsourcing. We deserve job security and improved working conditions. Hundreds of our members are striking from 10-6PM in Maryland and Texas today to tell Microsoft to stop dragging their feet.”
Workers are standing shoulder-to-shoulder to remind MSFT that outsourcing is a pain! pic.twitter.com/xr5yDwIbIg
— ZeniMax Workers United – CWA (@ZeniMaxWorkers) November 13, 2024
