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The Elder Scrolls Online

Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
Genre: Online Multiplayer
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Developer: ZeniMax Online Studios
Release Date: April 4, 2014

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'The Elder Scrolls Online' (ALL) Details Blackwood Chapter's New Companion System

by Rainier on May 5, 2021 @ 3:15 p.m. PDT

The Elder Scrolls Online is the first Elder Scrolls game to allow gamers to explore the legendary Elder Scrolls world with others.

Explore a rich, living world with friends or embark upon a solo adventure. Enjoy complete control over how your character looks and plays, from the weapons you wield to the skills you learn – the choices you make will shape your destiny. Welcome to a world without limits.

Battle, craft, steal, siege, or explore, and combine different types of armor, weapons, and abilities to create your own style of play. The choice is yours to make in a persistent, ever-growing Elder Scrolls world.

Discover the secrets of Tamriel as you set off to regain your lost soul and save the world from Oblivion. Experience any story in any part of the world, in whichever order you choose – with others or alone.

Using ZeniMax Online’s Megaserver technology, players will join one connected world with a built in social network that lets them stay up-to-date with everything their friends are doing.

Megaserver technology avoids the hassle of shard selection and makes The Elder Scrolls Online one of the most socially enabled games ever created.  Whether playing alone, or with hundreds of friends, players can develop their own style of play as they embark upon an epic quest across Tamriel.

The Elder Scrolls Online’s Blackwood chapter will continue the Gates of Oblivion adventure and feature over 30 hours of new story content, allowing you to explore a colorful part of Tamriel where the diverse culture of the Argonians meets with Imperial ambitions.

The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood is this year’s massive story Chapter, tasking players with uncovering the schemes of the Daedric Prince Mehrunes Dagon 800 years before the events of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Blackwood packs more than 30 hours of new main storyline, tons of side quests, countless quality of life features, and, for the first time ever, introduces Companions who will adventure through Tamriel alongside the player. The new Chapter will take players from the walls of the Imperial City of Leyawiin, first featured in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, to the murky bogs of Shadowfen, and of course to the mysterious region of Blackwood where players will uncover the Daedric plot at its heart. 

The new Rockgrove Trial, Oblivion Portal World Events, unique Chapter-specific rewards and more will provide ESO players and newcomers alike with an amazing year of deadric destruction.

Bethesda also revealed players will expose the daedric plots and tyrannical schemes consuming the region and must discover their connection to the Prince of Destruction and his dreadful plans for Tamriel. Though Blackwood is a standalone story, its events further the overall Gates of Oblivion narrative that will unfold throughout 2021.

Looking to explore some new yet very, very familiar lands? Journey back to iconic locations from The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, complete with Leyawiin serving as the Blackwood region’s central hub. Beyond its towering walls lies three distinct biomes, filled with the sinister minions of Mehrunes Dagon, the new Rockgrove 12-player Trial, world bosses, public dungeons, Oblivion Portal World Events and rewards.


Companions System

The Companions System will allow you to recruit a new combat ally to take on Tamriel. For the development team, the goal of this new system was to provide a new way to experience ESO’s open world and its many dangers. 

With the Companions System, we wanted to provide our players with a new ally they can take on their adventures to provide companionship and combat support,” explains Rich Lambert, ESO’s Creative Director. “When adventuring with a Companion, we want our players to be more confident in experiencing everything Tamriel has to offer while also getting to know some unique and interesting characters.”

Blackwood will introduce two unique Companions at launch, Mirri Elendis and Bastian Hallix, each with their own personality and unique characteristics.

“Bastian has a strong sense of duty and honor, but he’s also a little socially awkward and values your friendship,” explains Lambert. “Mirri, on the other hand, is quick-witted and clever, but she can also be a bit headstrong and impatient, potentially leading her into trouble. The more you adventure with your Companions, the more you’ll discover what makes them special, including their very different backgrounds.”

Of course, Tamriel is a dangerous place, and whatever role you need filled, your new allies will be able to help you tackle that especially challenging world boss or quest. 

“Companions are designed to be able to perform the game’s different combat roles, such as damage, healing, or tanking, and while they won’t be as powerful as regular players, they’ll still be effective combat allies in the heat of battle,” explains Lambert. “Players might discover that some enemies that challenged them solo in the past, can be defeated with the help of a trusted Companion.”

Customizable Comrades

Just like your own ESO characters, you’ll be able to tailor many aspects of your Companions. 

When designing the Companions System, it was important to us that we allow players to fully customize how their new allies fight and look,” explains Lambert. “They’ll be able to select what combat abilities their Companions utilize in combat, what gear they wear, and even tailor their appearance by applying costumes or outfit styles.” 

In addition, as you gain experience and level up your characters, so too will your Companions, and as you quest and explore together, you’ll also have to manage your relationships with these new characters.

“As players earn experience battling monsters, their Companions will also earn their own experience and level up, improving their base stats and unlocking more combat abilities. In addition, as players and Companions adventure together, actions the player takes in the world of Tamriel will also impact their rapport with their active Companion. Rapport levels can go up and down, depending on the activities, and players should talk to their Companions to get an idea as to what kind of activities will be seen favorably or negatively by their new allies.” 

Never Adventure Alone

For the team, the hope is that this new system will open the game up to more of its players and allow them to tackle challenges that might have seemed out of reach previously. 

“We know that a lot of our players enjoy playing ESO solo, and that is a perfectly viable way to experience the game,” says Lambert. “However, there is a lot of content that solo players might not be able to experience that way, and the Companions System helps open those doors by giving players a trusted ally to explore more group-oriented content at their own pace.”

Of course, how you choose to use your Companions is completely up to you, and the perilous region of Blackwood (and even more dangerous realms beyond Nirn) await with the upcoming Chapter. No matter how you play The Elder Scrolls Online, with the new Companions System, you’ll never have to adventure alone again! 

ESO: Blackwood will be available on PC starting June 1st and on consoles starting June 8, 2021.

The Elder Scrolls Online is currently available for PS4, Xbox One and PC, coming to Xbox Series X|S and PS5 on June 8, 2021.


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