ZeniMax Online Studios shared a look at the new content that is coming to The Elder Scrolls Online throughout 2026. It all begins with Season Zero: Dawn and Dusk that will kick off on April 2, 2026.
Season Zero adds a new Event Zone, The Night Market. There will also be some nice improvements coming to player experience, combat, and PvP in addition to the new Challenge Difficulty system. There will be new Thieves Guild and Sheogorath story content, experimental naval combat, underwater exploration, and the team teased a return to a little known place called Skyrim in later seasons for 2026.
Season Zero: Dawn and Dusk
Launching simultaneously for PC and console players on April 2, a new age begins for ESO with Season Zero: Dawn and Dusk. Season Zero introduces a limited-time Event Zone experience with The Night Market, a new area in the Oblivion realm of Fargrave that will be available for a seven-week period. Players can choose one of three unique factions, pledging their service in a gauntlet of challenging PvE encounters and earning a free player home, Night’s Den, in the process.
Also coming in Season Zero is the long-awaited Challenge Difficulty, an optional overland difficulty system. Players looking for an additional challenge will have four difficulty tiers to choose from, each with increased rewards, when it launches on June 8. Significant updates to PvP and combat also arrive during Season Zero, such as the new Veterancy PvP progression system and the first class-refresh for the Dragonknight, with the latter available in-game right now. Also live now are over 20 Player Experience Improvements designed to reduce grind and friction such as faster mount training, UI-based skill respecs and bag upgrades, and increased furnishing limits.
Launching simultaneously for PC and console players on April 2, a new age begins for ESO with Season Zero: Dawn and Dusk. Season Zero introduces a limited-time Event Zone experience with The Night Market, a new area in the Oblivion realm of Fargrave that will be available for a seven-week period. Players can choose one of three unique factions, pledging their service in a gauntlet of challenging PvE encounters and earning a free player home, Night’s Den, in the process.
Also coming in Season Zero is the long-awaited Challenge Difficulty, an optional overland difficulty system. Players looking for an additional challenge will have four difficulty tiers to choose from, each with increased rewards, when it launches on June 8. Significant updates to PvP and combat also arrive during Season Zero, such as the new Veterancy PvP progression system and the first class-refresh for the Dragonknight, with the latter available in-game right now. Also live now are over 20 Player Experience Improvements designed to reduce grind and friction such as faster mount training, UI-based skill respecs and bag upgrades, and increased furnishing limits.
Later in 2026, players will set sail on the High Seas of Tamriel event. This event features "experimental content" that includes naval combat and underwater exploration. Solo Dungeons will offer "reimagined versions of existing dungeons for solo play." The Crimson Veldt will be the first new base game Trial since ESO's launch in 2014.
Early 2027 will see players returning the "iconic region of Skyrim." This is very real.
ESO Returns to Skyrim
As teased during the 2026 Seasons Direct, in early 2027 players will return to Tamriel’s frozen north in an iconic region of Skyrim not previously seen in ESO. This will introduce ESO’s first-ever Excursion Zone, as well as dynamic blizzards that affect the gameplay of the zone itself.
PlayStation Plus and PC Game Pass
PlayStation Plus members can acquire the Gold Road Collection right now for free as part of the PlayStation Plus Monthly Games for March. The Gold Road Collection features the ESO base game, 2024’s Gold Road Chapter, and all previous Chapters, including access to the Warden, Necromancer, and Arcanist classes. This offer is available until April 6.
Also announced today, ESO will be launching on PC Game Pass and Xbox Play Anywhere on June 2.
As teased during the 2026 Seasons Direct, in early 2027 players will return to Tamriel’s frozen north in an iconic region of Skyrim not previously seen in ESO. This will introduce ESO’s first-ever Excursion Zone, as well as dynamic blizzards that affect the gameplay of the zone itself.
PlayStation Plus and PC Game Pass
PlayStation Plus members can acquire the Gold Road Collection right now for free as part of the PlayStation Plus Monthly Games for March. The Gold Road Collection features the ESO base game, 2024’s Gold Road Chapter, and all previous Chapters, including access to the Warden, Necromancer, and Arcanist classes. This offer is available until April 6.
Also announced today, ESO will be launching on PC Game Pass and Xbox Play Anywhere on June 2.
