Elder Scrolls Online is a popular MMORPG today. But the developers initially faced a big challenge – which led to the game’s unusual direction.
What were the beginnings of the game like? Bethesda wanted its own MMORPG set in the Elder Scrolls universe. Why not: After all, the brand offers a huge world with different countries, peoples and a lot of lore in the background.
While the previous offshoots were only aimed at solo players, Elder Scrolls Online was intended to compete with other large MMORPGs such as WoW.
But Blizzard’s game, which has been running for 20 years, caused problems for the developers at ZeniMax Online. That’s no wonder, because every new MMORPG has to get past the top dog, World of Warcraft.
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“Breaking Out of the WoW Mold”
What was the problem? Former ESO Creative Director Paul Sage remembers the early days of the MMORPG to Gamesradar. He and his team wanted to create a game with its own identity that stood out from World of Warcraft.
And that wasn’t easy: WoW had a huge impact on the genre. According to Sage, players expect certain game mechanics that go back to WoW and have long since become standard in the genre.
Because Sage and his team didn’t want to repeat the exact same thing, they faced some limitations. Here they had to find their own solutions to set ESO apart from the competition. Sage calls it “breaking out of the WoW mold” to create something of your own.
Bethesda gave the team a lot of freedom. That’s why, according to Sage, it was even easier to break out of the tried and tested Elder Scrolls formula and develop an MMORPG than to stand out from WoW and the like.
In the end, Elder Scrolls Online became an MMORPG that is also aimed at single players and sometimes feels like a real single-player title. If you want, you can ignore the other players and explore the world freely, similar to Skyrim or Oblivion. Many people now play WoW this way.
Today, Elder Scrolls Online is one of the biggest MMORPGs on the market. 1 million new players were added in 2024 alone.
Paul Sage no longer works at ZeniMax Online. The developer gives Bethesda credit for giving his team the artistic freedom to create a game with its own identity. In your opinion, did the plan work? Feel free to write it in the comments. You might also be interested in: Players criticize new companions in the MMORPG for The Elder Scrolls – developers respond