The devastating layoffs mandated as part of Xbox 's big reset hit Maryland-based developer ZeniMax Online Studios very hard, cutting 213 of its employees .
Former Senior Encounter Designer Morgan Goin publicly stated that the studio couldn't possibly keep up the pace of The Elder Scrolls Online update it had strived for. Indeed, ZeniMax Online Studios swiftly told fans that the roadmap would have to change, and today Game Director Nick Giacomini has posted a letter outlining exactly how.
As you'd expect, it's a bit of a good-news-bad-news situation. Let's start with the good news: The Elder Scrolls Online is here to stay , Giacomini said, and the studio is more focused than ever on bringing new experiences to its community. Many of the existing plans have largely been maintained, with only minor tweaks.
Update 51 will now launch one week later than originally planned (on September 28), and it will include the Nowhere Vault puzzle-themed challenge, the new Rumors game system, and a variety of Player Experience improvements. Everything else in Season One will run as planned, along with a few additions to thank fans for their patience:
- Live now: New Sheogorath story quests and Golden Pursuit
- August 5-12: Whitestrake’s Mayhem event
- August 20-September 17: A brand-new Golden Pursuit campaign called “Straight to the Crate,” where you can earn up to 20 free Crown Crates
- September 30-October 14: The new High Seas of Tamriel event
- Three-sided Battlegrounds will return permanently on September 28, with Update 51
Season Two kicks off on October 21, 2026 , and includes the release of the first two Solo Dungeons (Moon Hunter Keep and March of Sacrifices), with the welcome news that ZeniMax Online i s making the group versions of those dungeons free for all players from October 12 . Similarly, the Greymoor Chapter and Markarth DLC will become free for all players on November 9. The developers are also introducing a new Golden Pursuit to highlight Skyrim and the Antiquities system (now available to everyone) from November 9 to December 2.
There will be improvements to the Tamriel Tome system , including expanded Challenges for broader playstyles, a higher Tome Point rollover cap, and more. Frost Atronach crate rewards will be available in the Gold Coast Bazaar, and the Witches Festival and the New Life Festival events will return as usual.
However, as expected, some content is being delayed. More specifically, the 12-man endgame PvE Trial Crimson Veldt , which will introduce mounted combat to The Elder Scrolls Online, h as been delayed to 2027 , and the same goes for the next big Class and Combat refresh patch. Similarly, Update 52 has been moved to January 2027 , when the game will be updated with the Jerall Pass PvP zone and Skyrim’s Dynamic Encounters: Rimegales .
It's a bit of a blow, no doubt, but perhaps less than players were fearing after such massive cuts to the studio's workforce. As a long-time player and fan, I certainly hope they can keep going for a long time.
About the author : With over two decades of experience in gaming journalism, Alessio Palumbo has led the gaming vertical at Wccftech since August 2015. He started working at a young age for Italian websites like Everyeye.it, Gamestar.it, Nextgame.it, and Multiplayer.it before kickstarting the indie English-language publication Worlds Factory as its founder and Editor in Chief. In the last decade, he has coordinated the overall output of Wccftech's gaming section, managed PR relations, assigned reviews, produced daily news coverage, edited gaming content as needed, and delivered game reviews. Arguably, his trademark content is the long series of exclusive developer interviews that have been cited by Wikipedia and by the biggest news media and gaming publications. His passion for technology also makes him knowledgeable when it comes to gaming hardware and tech. His favorite genres include RPGs, MMORPGs, and action/adventure games.
Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.