As promised, last night ZeniMax Online unveiled Elder Scrolls Online’s fourth big update of 2023 and the Necrom-backed plotline, and it’s maybe not what players are accustomed to expecting in the last chunk of the year.
First off, update 40 itself launches October 30th for PC and Mac, while consolers wait until November 14th; it includes a brand-new group finder for everything from PvP to dungeons, new consolidated crafting stations for houses, a rebalance for jewelry crafting, and a “broad audit and standardization of the experience point and gold rewards” for a huge range of quests intended to blanket them in consistency and to render the guild daily quests worth the effort.
But the star of the presentation is the Endless Archive, the repeatable content type ZOS has been teasing all year. “Prepare yourself for an all-new PvE challenge in the Endless Archive, a unique unending dungeon-like activity,” the studio explains. “Whether you go it solo or team up with a fellow player or Companion, your success in the Endless Archive is limited only by your preparation, skills, and determination.”
“In the Endless Archive, you must battle your way through dynamic stages and untold dangers, including monsters and boss encounters drawn from all over Nirn. No two expeditions into the Archive will ever be the same, as each Stage and encounter is randomly generated. Complete four Cycles (each comp[o]sed of three Stages and a boss battle) and your fifth boss battle with be against a monster unique to the Endless Archive—thus completing an Arc! Of course, after you defeat the corruption at the archive’s heart, your expedition doesn’t end there, as you can traverse ever deeper into more Stages, Cycles, and Arcs, with the difficulty gradually increasing as you do! How deep you delve into the Endless Archive is ultimately up to you.”
Naturally, the long you can hold out before you hit your death and wipe limit, you rack up rewards “not found in any other activity in the game,” including cosmetics, a mount, collecibles, class sets, and a new currency usable on permanent buffs and other loot.
The rest of the year is further stuffed with events, with the Witches Festival in October, Gates of Oblivion Celebration in November, and the New Life Festival in December.
We’re excited to announce our upcoming community-driven event, Secrets of the Telvanni! Rewards include the Ebony Scarab Pet, Nightmare’s Nest Body Markings, and Kelesan’Ruhn House! We’ll have more details coming soon. pic.twitter.com/NlWSu0jGNZ
— The Elder Scrolls Online (@TESOnline) September 14, 2023
