No more Chapters for ESO confirmed: RIP 💀

[𝒞𝒶𝓉𝓎𝒶♡]

So, new ESO Studio Director Dev letter tells that no more yearly Chapters, but small updates anymore. So here we are. Hate to be the "i told you so", but yeah..

Link to official Studio Director Letter from ZOS:

https://www.elderscrollsonline.com/en-us/news/post/67321

What are your thoughts? Feelings?

This is how games literally enter the maintenance mode. So where are the "Game is biggest MMO on market" dudes now? I am giddy with anticipation while waiting for your explanations this time. :)

[AmaiAmai]

Maintenance mode confirmed.

[Swans]

Well, this type of iterative development is also more aligned to the Agile delivery methods employed by software developers in the modern world, including Microsoft. So it could be a legitimate attempt to increase velocity in ZOS, which has been lacking.

e.g., for all the fanfare around Chapters, there are only few key items in each one that move the game forward, the rest is often padding. So, to my mind Chapters have breached the core Agile software development principle of, "our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software", because ZOS tie themselves in knots landing each chapter, then tie themselves in knots fixing each chapter.

So I shall be 'skeptically hopeful', that this is a positive thing for the game, until proven otherwise.

[UnderNewManagement]

"
Just to follow up here. The changes here are to make us more agile and produce more engaging and varied content. So from our prospective, it is not us "going into maintenance" but rather being able to address several concerns the player base has noted over the years."
from community manager kevin. doesnt seem like maintenance mode to me when they are adding seasons. learn what that is

[𝒞𝒶𝓉𝓎𝒶♡]

Originally posted by Swans:

So I shall be 'skeptically hopeful', that this is a positive thing for the game, until proven otherwise.

You honestly don't just see what gonna happen?

Mini-updates with seasonal battlepasses that they will use to milk money from said minimal content. And the minimal content is same type as the previous 2 new companions. So expect new "content releases" to be seasonal 2 new companions, new re-skinned same dungeon (with different stats on mobs and 1 new drop at end boss as loot) and battlepass to grind same old content, and there will be only nerfs and buffs to existing skills and sets to give illusion of content.

I mean.. it will be the next "i told you so".

Now they will make some "increased difficulty overland" (too late..) when they don't anymore care what it breaks. Since to be honest, lately the whole ESO seems to be breaking mechanically sadly. I mean look at all the last times technical difficulties. Almost as if they do not care or their crew is so small that it causes issues because not enough actual talent there anymore. Sad times.

[UnderNewManagement]

Originally posted by Sofia♡:

Originally posted by Swans:

So I shall be 'skeptically hopeful', that this is a positive thing for the game, until proven otherwise.

You honestly don't just see what gonna happen?

Mini-updates with seasonal battlepasses that they will use to milk money from said minimal content. And the minimal content is same type as the previous 2 new companions. So expect new "content releases" to be seasonal 2 new companions, new re-skinned same dungeon (with different stats on mobs and 1 new drop at end boss as loot) and battlepass to grind same old content, and there will be only nerfs and buffs to existing skills and sets to give illusion of content.

I mean.. it will be the next "i told you so".

Now they will make some "increased difficulty overland" (too late..) when they don't anymore care what it breaks. Since to be honest, lately the whole ESO seems to be breaking mechanically sadly. I mean look at all the last times technical difficulties. Almost as if they do not care or their crew is so small that it causes issues because not enough actual talent there anymore. Sad times.

wow they are making all that in maintenance mode. zos is the best! go eso!

[𝒞𝒶𝓉𝓎𝒶♡]

Originally posted by UnderNewManagement:

"
Just to follow up here. The changes here are to make us more agile and produce more engaging and varied content. So from our prospective, it is not us "going into maintenance" but rather being able to address several concerns the player base has noted over the years."
from community manager kevin. doesnt seem like maintenance mode to me when they are adding seasons. learn what that is

Seasons are gonna be just battlepass grinding of same old content with minimal effort. They will focus on store and selling even more cosmetics. You will see. Of course they can say anything. Players will see next year what it means. :)

Have you played other games that done this same? Any experienced player can read that letter and knows what it means for mmo to go from annual big chapter content to "more bite sized updates".

Of course some will come explain how they will now get more content than before. Oh well, you will see what seasons and battlepasses mean. It will not mean content. Unless you are those who thought new crown crate seasons was "content" when only thing new was new things to buy on cash shop.

[Swans]

Originally posted by Sofia♡:

Originally posted by Swans:

So I shall be 'skeptically hopeful', that this is a positive thing for the game, until proven otherwise.

You honestly don't just see what gonna happen?

No, because I am not clairvoyant, and nor are you.

They have stated some bold goals which, if adhered to, could bring the game back to life. If they do as you suggest, then the game will die. We won't know how it'll pan out until next year is well underway.

It's not a big deal either way; the game is only of passing interest to me in its current guise, so they either improve the situation or I continue to largely ignore it.

[UnderNewManagement]

Originally posted by Sofia♡:

Originally posted by UnderNewManagement:

"
Just to follow up here. The changes here are to make us more agile and produce more engaging and varied content. So from our prospective, it is not us "going into maintenance" but rather being able to address several concerns the player base has noted over the years."
from community manager kevin. doesnt seem like maintenance mode to me when they are adding seasons. learn what that is

Seasons are gonna be just battlepass grinding of same old content with minimal effort. They will focus on store and selling even more cosmetics. You will see. Of course they can say anything. Players will see next year what it means. :)

Have you played other games that done this same? Any experienced player can read that letter and knows what it means for mmo to go from annual big chapter content to "more bite sized updates".

Of course some will come explain how they will now get more content than before. Oh well, you will see what seasons and battlepasses mean. It will not mean content. Unless you are those who thought new crown crate seasons was "content" when only thing new was new things to buy on cash shop. :LaughingOwlcat:

this is kinda inchoherent but all i got is that youre salty over eso and how its run for some reason.

[𝒞𝒶𝓉𝓎𝒶♡]

Originally posted by Swans:

Originally posted by Sofia♡:

You honestly don't just see what gonna happen?

No, because I am not clairvoyant, and nor are you.

They have stated some bold goals which, if adhered to, could bring the game back to life. If they do as you suggest, then the game will die. We won't know how it'll pan out until next year is well underway.

It's not a big deal either way; the game is only of passing interest to me in its current guise, so they either improve the situation or I continue to largely ignore it.

Well, we shall see. :)

Now we know why they did not wanna do that 10 year anniversary event also.. they are just ending Live Events and also scrapping down in game content.

I'd bet their next game is soon ready to be announced finally. Because this is like abandoning ship that is called ESO.

[charred]

oh :)
the game is officially killed

[Marigona]

Yeah, I'm out. Was a good time while it lasted but now .. Have fun with this game, y'all.

[s̷h̷a̷d̷o̷w̷]

Yup, $$$ won, as it is always the case (though word of caution: $$$ will stop flowing once people realize this is yet another typical live service game ). I don't get corpo mentality and laziness but alright, was fun while it lasted, I'll play along (or rather, stop playing, have played enough for nearly 8k hours). But first I see how bad were my predicitions and I predict XD I am completely right. So many games died once entered this idiotic battlepass/season/letsreusestuffforever-like system, cut content and basically yes, maintenance mode. GG ZO$.

[𝒞𝒶𝓉𝓎𝒶♡]

Originally posted by nameless undead:

cut content and basically yes, maintenance mode. GG ZO$.

Yeah..

Their resources are clearly now all going to their next game already.

I actually was thinking and have post a while back that i suspected they will go to maintenance mode in 2026, but it happening already in 2025 surprised me, was expecting one more Chapter to be honest.

[SaltyBalls]

Originally posted by Sofia♡:

Originally posted by Swans:

So I shall be 'skeptically hopeful', that this is a positive thing for the game, until proven otherwise.

You honestly don't just see what gonna happen?

Mini-updates with seasonal battlepasses that they will use to milk money from said minimal content. And the minimal content is same type as the previous 2 new companions. So expect new "content releases" to be seasonal 2 new companions, new re-skinned same dungeon (with different stats on mobs and 1 new drop at end boss as loot) and battlepass to grind same old content, and there will be only nerfs and buffs to existing skills and sets to give illusion of content.

I mean.. it will be the next "i told you so".

Now they will make some "increased difficulty overland" (too late..) when they don't anymore care what it breaks. Since to be honest, lately the whole ESO seems to be breaking mechanically sadly. I mean look at all the last times technical difficulties. Almost as if they do not care or their crew is so small that it causes issues because not enough actual talent there anymore. Sad times.

Who cares who even plays this 20 year old game any more

[Yvaralys]

Originally posted by Sofia♡:

So, new ESO Studio Director Dev letter tells that no more yearly Chapters, but small updates anymore. So here we are. Hate to be the "i told you so", but yeah..

Link to official Studio Director Letter from ZOS:

https://www.elderscrollsonline.com/en-us/news/post/67321

What are your thoughts? Feelings?

This is how games literally enter the maintenance mode. So where are the "Game is biggest MMO on market" dudes now? I am giddy with anticipation while waiting for your explanations this time. :)

So if you actually read it, they are moving towards smaller releases and doing "seasons" instead of only one major release per year. This is a smart move for keeping more players playing more often. Otherwise you would see the cycle of "play game after expansion launches for a month or two, ditch game, then wait until next major expansion". Which in Gold Road's case... well, I'm sorry if you paid the full $40 for this. Although the model they are moving to sounds good, we have yet to see how they are going to monetize it. Unless they anticipate that people will just keep their ESO+ subscriptions up for longer.