5 Major Takeaways from ESO ‘Seasons of the Worm Cult’ Dev Interview

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5 Major Takeaways from ESO ‘Seasons of the Worm Cult’ Dev Interview

It’s been a decade since the release of Elder Scrolls Online (ESO), and one might think that the multiplayer online game has lost its momentum and is just a former shell of itself. However, that’s not the case, as ESO is going strong and continues to receive major updates. Recently, it has entered a new stage in its life with its first annual Chapter Right.

After abandoning the expansion model that was the core of the MMORPG since 2017, developer ZeniMax Online Studios has finally released the first major Seasonal update for the game, Seasons of the Worm Cult Part 1. It’s packed with content, ranging from a new island region of Solstice to the continuation of the original MMO storyline.

If you’re someone who can’t wrap their head around this major update, don’t worry. ZeniMax Online Studios’ Zone Lead Jason Barnes and Systems Designer Carrie Day, in a Q&A session (via

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), have explained several things players can expect to see with this seasonal update.

5 Solstice will be ESO’s first evolving zone

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The developer team is starting its brand new journey in ESO with a new playable zone called Solstice. It’s located right off the southern coast of Tamriel and is an undiscovered island, which was considered to be the perfect backdrop for Wormcult’s return. Right at the heart of this city lies the Writing Wall, which will be crucial for the game’s year-long narrative.

Solstice’s capital is Sunport, a unique blend of Agonian and High Elf architectural styles. The island’s history is shaped by a past conflict between the Altmer House Coralia and the native Argonians, which led to a war before peace was formed. Now, the island’s eastern half is under the control of the Worm Cult.

Unlike previous Zones in the MMORPG, Solstice will evolve in time, and players will be able to experience its transformation throughout the year as the narrative unravels in a set order. According to Barnes, ZeniMax Online Studios is taking a new approach to storytelling that will unfold in a sequence and create a connected narrative.

As players progress, the entire island will change dynamically. This means that players will have new areas to unlock, events that escalate, and an environment that reflects the current plot. Solstice is all set to offer an intense experience that culminates in a dramatic climax.

4 Subclassing and Scribing will work together

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ESO. (Image via

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One of the most exciting additions for all the existing players is Subclassing. With this, gamers can add skill lines from other classes and enhance the build variety to play around with in the game. It’s crucial to keep in mind that at least one single line has to be maintained for the original class. Players can only take one skill line through each class.

You might wonder how exactly Subclassing will interact with the Scrubbing feature in the MMORPG. As Day states, Scribbing will continue to function as it’s been intended. Suppose you only have a class mastery ability; it will be usable with the class you selected during character creation.

Class item sets included with that are going to be exclusive to their respective classes, meaning you won’t be able to use class mastery for skill lines from the subclasses.

3 Seasons of the Worm Cult is open from level one

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won’t be locked behind any level. (Image via

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When players first heard about the announcement of Seasons of the Worm Cult, there was a concern that ZeniMax Online Studios would lock everything behind the level. It’s been the case in various other MMORPGs, so the fear was natural.

However, Seasons of the Worm Cult will be playable at any level in ESO. That’s right, Zenimax Online Studios has crafted the story and everything within the update in a way that makes sense for all players. However, players won’t directly start in Solstice but in the base game’s revamped tutorial zone.

If that’s the first thing you do, you can still play the main storyline and all that, you’ll just have your own unique path for it. One thing I will mention is there’s not going to be a tutorial that spits you out to this island.

Players will be able to travel to Solstice, even if they’re level one, with the help of a boat or Wayshrine. It’s a fully level-scaled zone, which ensures accessibility for everyone. Unfortunately, it won’t be the same for subclassing in the MMORPG, as players will need to have at least a single level 50 character on their account.

2 The Writhing Wall will define this ESO update

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