Buying Elsweyr key on GMG and getting a Bethesda key

[Doomguy]

This will be long and a little complicated and english is not my native language but I'll try to be as clear as possible.

I own basically everything eso related here on steam. I have about 1100 hours of gameplay. I've always bought everything on steam including Plus (not active right now tho) and crowns sometimes. I'm an EU player so, like many others, I'm afflicted by the Steam EU login servers that sometimes ♥♥♥♥ up and I (we) can't login for hours or even days. This as been officially acknowledged by Bethesda/Zenimax and """fixed""", even though it still happens from time to time.
When this happens there's absolutely no workaround for us who bought the game on steam (this is crucial) since the Tamriel Unlimited upgrade in mid 2016 (despite many ppl suggesting to login directly from the exe, or trying other long procedures that I'm not going to cover here, but all of that only works if you bought the game on Steam BEFORE the TU release in 2016).

Long story short: I'm tired of this ♥♥♥♥. And there actually is a workaround for us, as also confirmed on the Bethesda forums by many players desperate enough to do that: buying the game again (just the base game is enough) on their website. You won't lose the account, char progression, money, crowns, anything. BUT you're finally able to login the game from the exe bypassing the ♥♥♥♥♥♥ steam system.

Now back to topic. The Elsweyr expansion is for sale right now on GMG at -14% of normal price, but it's not a steam key. It's a key redeemable on Bethesda website. No info about what happens to steam eso owners who buy that, BUT going back to the Summerset sale page (on GMG as well) there are moderators who confirm that if you go on the Bethesda website and link your steam account, you can safely buy a Bethesda key, redeem it on their website, and then your steam version of the game gets upgraded as well. It probably just won't show on steam among the owned dlcs since you didn't activate it here, but you will own it.
That was on the GMG Summerset page and it's safe to assume the same would happen with Elsweyr.

The most important question is: if I did that, would I also be able to bypass the steam login as the aforementioned workaround?
I guess the only way to know is trying. If anybody did that already I'd like to know. And in case I decide to gamble 35€ I'll let you know. I'm sure many people will be happy to know a way to finally avoid the infamous login bug.

[Ghigi]

I purchased both Morrowind and Summerset on other sites and activated the keys on the eso official site. Steam won't list them in the DLC section, but I have both in-game and currently playing those areas. Hope it helps.

As for the workaround, I usually launch the game directly from the eso64.exe completely by-passing Steam. Mind that you need an eso account (your ID and pwd) to login. Works everytime for me.

[Doomguy]

that's nice and useful to hear. Know that you're probably able to launch the game from the .exe just because you redeemed those keys on the official site instead of steam.

By the way where do you buy crowns from? Here or Bethesda site? And Plus?

[Ghigi]

Never got any crown or + so far, but I would go official site for sure.

[watchdog79]

Publicado originalmente por Doomguy:

that's nice and useful to hear. Know that you're probably able to launch the game from the .exe just because you redeemed those keys on the official site instead of steam.

By the way where do you buy crowns from? Here or Bethesda site? And Plus?

Don't buy Crowns on Steam. People had issues with those, like not appearing on their accounts and such. ESO and Steam don't like one another.

To bypass the Steam launcher, you will need to own a game package containing the base game outside Steam. Everything else is just a matter of linking your Steam account to the main game account, since all your game data is stored ourside Steam and totally indepent of it.

[Doomguy]

Publicado originalmente por Ghigi:

Never got any crown or + so far, but I would go official site for sure.

So just as a confirmation, you bought the base game from steam and then redeemed Morrowind and Summerset on the eso site, right? Can you launch the game both from steam and the executable or just from the exe now?

Publicado originalmente por watchdog79:

Publicado originalmente por Doomguy:

that's nice and useful to hear. Know that you're probably able to launch the game from the .exe just because you redeemed those keys on the official site instead of steam.

By the way where do you buy crowns from? Here or Bethesda site? And Plus?

Don't buy Crowns on Steam. People had issues with those, like not appearing on their accounts and such. ESO and Steam don't like one another.

To bypass the Steam launcher, you will need to own a game package containing the base game outside Steam. Everything else is just a matter of linking your Steam account to the main game account, since all your game data is stored ourside Steam and totally indepent of it.

I've never had any problem with buying crowns from steam till now. Maybe eso and steam start to conflict if I mix the activations? Like if I get base game here and Elsweys on eso site?

If I need to own a package containing the base game outside of steam it means that buying the Elsweyr digital upgrade on GMG and redeeming the key on ESO site will not be enough... :/

[Alex]

Are you sure man? Isn't this redeemable on the Elder Scrolls Online website? Are you saying i works only in the Bethesda client?

I got most of the game from the Elder Scrolls Website and only the Gold version on steam so I can start it there. Connected both, so I just have to get everything outside Steam and it will work great anyway even if I play the Steam version because I connected my account.

[Doomguy]

Publicado originalmente por Alex:

Are you sure man? Isn't this redeemable on the Elder Scrolls Online website? Are you saying i works only in the Bethesda client?

I've never actually mentioned the Bethesda client.

The TLDR version is: I bought base game (tamriel unlimited), then morrowind and summerset on Steam. What would exactly happen if I buy and redeem an eso key for Elsweyr on my steam-linked account on the bethesda site?

[Alex]

So it's an ESO website key? If so, I want to purchase that. Seems like it.


In your case you need to buy all on Steam as far as I know.

[Alex]

Although I got the game first and created the account on the ESO site, then linked to Steam. And I buy crowns and ESO plus from resellers or the site itself. So I assume getting Elsweyr collector edition should work for me.

[Doomguy]

Publicado originalmente por Alex:

So it's an ESO website key? If so, I want to purchase that. Seems like it.


In your case you need to buy all on Steam as far as I know.

You obviously didn't read my initial post.

"going back to the Summerset sale page (on GMG as well) there are moderators who confirm that if you go on the Bethesda website and link your steam account, you can safely buy a Bethesda key, redeem it on their website, and then your steam version of the game gets upgraded as well. It probably just won't show on steam among the owned dlcs since you didn't activate it here, but you will own it."

This is the official answer I was talking about from a GMG moderator on the Summerset page to someone asking basically the same question:

“Hey! Although this key does need to be redeemed on TESO's website, if you have your Steam & TESO account linked, it will upgrade the edition you have on your Steam account!”

I'm just assuming that if this is true for Summerset it should be valid for Elsweyr as well.

[Gandrel]

Publicado originalmente por watchdog79:

Publicado originalmente por Doomguy:

that's nice and useful to hear. Know that you're probably able to launch the game from the .exe just because you redeemed those keys on the official site instead of steam.

By the way where do you buy crowns from? Here or Bethesda site? And Plus?

Don't buy Crowns on Steam. People had issues with those, like not appearing on their accounts and such. ESO and Steam don't like one another.

To bypass the Steam launcher, you will need to own a game package containing the base game outside Steam. Everything else is just a matter of linking your Steam account to the main game account, since all your game data is stored ourside Steam and totally indepent of it.

The crowns are only delayed sometimes, but that's only because of the user's internet. There are no problems with it at all.

[Alex]

I see. I saw that, just skimmed through it. It's true for both, it's the same thing man, a larger DLC expansion. If this worked for Summerset it works for this too. I am sure of that, and if the GMG dudes confirm this.. it's clear. Elsewyr is pretty much this year's Summerset or what was 2 years ago with Morrowind. A large story expansion with a new story and race. So if those worked, this works too.

[inkie_squid]

I'm affected by the Steam login issue every few weeks / months so I know your pain - I bought Summerset through a key site (can't remember which one) and redeemed it through the website but still had the login issues after Summerset was released.

So unfortunately I don't think that there will be any improvement when it comes to doing the same with Elsewyr... we simply have to put our faith in that fix - and in fairness I don't remember having the problem for at least the past 4 weeks so maybe that actually did fix it..?

[Doomguy]

Publicado originalmente por inkie_squid:

I'm affected by the Steam login issue every few weeks / months so I know your pain - I bought Summerset through a key site (can't remember which one) and redeemed it through the website but still had the login issues after Summerset was released.

So unfortunately I don't think that there will be any improvement when it comes to doing the same with Elsewyr... we simply have to put our faith in that fix - and in fairness I don't remember having the problem for at least the past 4 weeks so maybe that actually did fix it..?

Thanks for your add to the case.
Since when you redeemed your summerset key on the eso site, how do you launch the game? Did you try launching it from the eso64.exe file? That should bypass the steam login, as far as I've heard.

[inkie_squid]

Publicado originalmente por Doomguy:

Publicado originalmente por inkie_squid:

I'm affected by the Steam login issue every few weeks / months so I know your pain - I bought Summerset through a key site (can't remember which one) and redeemed it through the website but still had the login issues after Summerset was released.

So unfortunately I don't think that there will be any improvement when it comes to doing the same with Elsewyr... we simply have to put our faith in that fix - and in fairness I don't remember having the problem for at least the past 4 weeks so maybe that actually did fix it..?

Thanks for your add to the case.
Since when you redeemed your summerset key on the eso site, how do you launch the game? Did you try launching it from the eso64.exe file? That should bypass the steam login, as far as I've heard.

In all honesty I really can't remember... I think I tried it and it didn't work but I'm really not sure of the timing (blame my pain meds)!

For now assume that it failed miserably and left me embroiled in the Steam nightmare however I'll download it again from ZOS and update this thread if it does let me.

--------

Update: Download complete and no, I can't log in through the Bethesda version, only Steam :(