The Elder Scrolls Online Goes Free-To-Play!

The Elder Scrolls Online game which was released April 4, 2014 hasn’t been out for nearly a year and now we are seeing a shift in how gamers will pay for this game. What has made Bethesda go for this Free-To-Play model and what does this mean for you the gamer? What about ESO Plus? What features will the paid subscription bring in comparison to the Free-to-Play model? (Read more to find out! and watch the last trailer in Bethesda’s 4 part series here!)

Elder Scrolls Online is apart of the TES series as it takes place 1,000 years before the events of Skyrim. This game was supposed to give gamers the Elder Scroll Experience and the ability to play cooperatively or competitively with friends. In theory this sounded amazing, but in actuality due to lackluster gameplay and a small adaptation rate people couldn’t really justify tearing away from their free single-player Skyrim long enough to even enjoy it, let alone paying $15 a month to play it. So was this that made Bethesda change their minds? More than likely, but there hasn’t been an official statement regarding what provoked them, though all I can say is I am happy that gamers can just play it without a fee tacked on.

Well now that Elder Scrolls Online is now Free-To-Play what does that mean for you? You can simply buy Elder Scrolls Online at your local game retailer and return it within 7 days if you don’t like it without worrying about being tied down to a subscription fee. You can tell your friends about it and they will join in too and it won’t be as much of a chore because they have a option to play without a fee. Though these reasons are great on the flip side you have to consider that they won’t receive the same amount of income so server support and patches won’t come out as frequently due to the lack of money to pay the coders. Also not to forget they will probably add a fair amount of microtransactions which may or may the break the game. Though don’t fret because as this is free to play you can also upgrade and get premium as well.

So it actually may be these premium users who actually keep the game running in tip-top shape. Now how the premium membership works is if you are already an active subscriber you’ll be upgraded to the ESO Plus membership. This membership grants exclusive perks and rewards not only that but users will receive the following bonuses.

An allotment of crowns to spend in the new in-game Crown Store based on your membership period
Access to all of ESO’s downloadable content (or DLC) game packs for the duration of your membership
A 10% bonus to XP and gold gain, crafting research, and inspiration

Crowns are a type of currency that comes from actually paying for the subscription this opens up the in-game crown store that lets you purchase all types of pets, mounts and more. Now you get 1500 crowns for 30 days, 4500 crowns for 90 days, or 9000 crowns for 180 days. You can’t get more until your previous subscription is over so it’s better to buy bigger subscriptions. So overall this allows more gamers to play the game and for those who paid money don’t feel cheated for paying as much as they did, because it was the early adopters who really played a big part in this coming together in a way. Though with this will it be too much of an unfair advantage for the ESO Plus, maybe but we will have to see this transition in action. So stay tuned for more news regarding Sony, PlayStation and gaming on Sony Rumors, also don’t forget to check out the video below!

The Elder Scrolls Online release date for PS4 is June 9th, 2015 for $59.99.
The Free-to-Play option for online multiplayer will be coming March 17th, 2015.
Mark your calendar folks. 😉