Are you completely overwhelmed by the multitude of Elder Scrolls Online DLC? Want to play a certain kind of story in the game, but don’t know where to find it? Looking for new playable professions and skill lines? Our ESO Updates advice will help you find the right content!
In this article we give tips on suitable Elder Scrolls Online Addons for the following game content:
- Annual adventures, consisting of several addons
- Deeper insights into the culture of different races
- New skill lines, classes and play styles
- Dragon, Daedra and dark creatures
- Unique, bizarre regions
Thanks to the high update rate of the ESO developers (currently four new content updates per year), even experienced players have a hard time keeping up with the pace. Therefore we concentrate in this guide to name the appropriate addons for four key areas of interest. To get an insight into the different DLCs, it pays off to get a one-month ESOplus subscription, as it allows you to test all DLCs except the four chapters. Alternatively, wait for a free week of Elder Scrolls Online.
If your favourite game focus is missing in this guide, just talk to us about it on our discord. Improvements to the guide are always welcome, as they help other readers with similar interests. Please note that after the release of a new Elder Scrolls Online Addon it may take a while to update the article. We take our time to thoroughly test new content in order to provide you with a suitable and helpful recommendation.
- Regarding the ESO add-ons, we distinguish between chapters, story DLCs and dungeon DLCs: Chapters and story DLCs always offer vaults, at least one dungeon, world bosses, daily quests, crafting styles, a quest to collect and skyshards, in addition to a main quest series and various side quests. The more extensive chapters offer a wider range of everything, covering a larger area and adding a new quest to the game. Dungeon DLCs always bring two new dungeons into play based on a specific theme.
You can find the official website with all Elder Scrolls Online Updates behind the link.
Annual adventures in ESO
Since 2019, Elder Scroll’s online developer Zenimax has been pursuing a new publishing strategy: all chapters, story and dungeon DLCs released during a year build up on each other in an evolving story. The last add-on of the year will complete this story. Until now, there has always been a dungeon DLC as a prelude to the year-long adventure, followed by an extensive chapter, then another dungeon DLC and finally culminating in a story DLC. This allows for much more detailed quest stories that will entertain you for a long time on a particular topic.
In the Year of the Dragon (2019), you had to end a dragon plague in Elsweyr together with two old acquaintances from the main story of the basic game: First, Master Mage Abnur Tharn calls for your help to recover the two halves of the legendary Grudge Stone in the dungeon DLC “Wrathstone”. This stone is used to free ancient dragons shortly before the chapter “Elsweyr” appears. Together with the local citizens you will try to stop their evil deeds during the chapter. Even in the dungeon DLC “Scalebreaker” you have a mighty dragon and a nasty vampire at your throat. Finally in the story-DLC “Dragonhold” you succeed to become master of the winged fiends and to save the home of the Khajiit, thanks to the help of the Dragonguard, which was resurrected by Sai Sahan.
In 2020, The Black Heart of Skyrim takes us to Skyrim, a region much loved by Elder Scrolls fans. Lyris Titanborn, also known from the main story of the game, needs help: a mysterious witch cult is causing trouble in the North. In the dungeon DLC “Harrowstorm”, you can get a first taste of what the witches are up to and explore an ancient tomb along the way. The chapter “Greymoor” is set in Western Skyrim and also takes you to the magnificent underground area of Blackreach, where you track down the activities of a vicious vampire lord who wants to enslave Skyrim. Two more DLCs are scheduled to complete the story later this year.
Insights into ESO Races and Cultures
Elder Scrolls Online thrives on the diversity of different races and human cultures: Away from the human Bretons, Imperials, Nord and Rothwardons, you can play three different elven races ( High Elves, Dark Elves and Forest Elves), the feline Khajiit, the lizard-like Argonians and Orcs. In addition to the in-game books with folk-specific literature and the main quest series of the three factions Aldmeri Dominion, Daggerfall Alliance and Ebonheart Pact, the chapters and story DLCs will give you a deeper insight into the different cultures and their habits and perspectives.
Argonians
As a fan of Argonians, you’d best take a look at the story DLC “Murkmire” first. In the swampy region of Blackmarsh you help the Argonian tribes there with various problems. In addition, you’ll be searching for a legendary artefact for an imperial archaeologist and discover mysterious ruins. In the dungeon DLC “Shadows of the Hist” you save the slaves of the Xit-Xaht tribe from a life-threatening project and support the Argonian branch of the Dark Brotherhood in their fight against a group of renegade Assassins.
Dark Elves
The island of Vvardenfell, populated by the dark elves, is the setting of the chapter “Morrowind”. You will support the demigod Vivec against an intrigue, and on your journey through the regions of Vvardenfell you will learn about the Dunmer Houses and the nomadic Ashlander Elves. Especially the different lifestyles and interests of the houses shape exciting side quests as well as the architectural style of the settlements.
In the story DLC “Clockwork City” you’ll find yourself in the completely mechanical city of the demigod Sotha Sil, whom you save from a malevolent threat. Like Vivec, Sotha Sil is part of the triumvirate worshipped by the Dunmer. With Clockwork City, Sotha Sil attempted to create a living world based entirely on logic and mechanical principles, breaking with many a cultural habits of the Dark Elves.
High Elves
On the island “Summerset” the High Elves have lived for many generations, whom you help in the chapter of the same name against the activities of several Daedra princes. For more insight into the culture of the High Elves and current political conflicts, don’t skip the side quests. Behind their arrogant behaviour, the Altmer have plenty of emotional energy, but also a fine sense of humour!
Imperials
The Imperial City of Cyrodiil (and its environs) is the focus of the PvP-focused DLC “Imperial City”, which stands in contrast to all other ESO releases due to its clear emphasis on player-versus-player content. Each of the three factions is given its own campaign here, with which they can gain dominance over Cyrodiil and the surrounding area, at least if enough players participate. With group dungeons and side quests inside the city, you’ll gain insight into the history of Cyrodiil and the Imperials’ way of life.
Khajiit
Those who are enthusiastic about the cunning Khajiit will get plenty of opportunities to look into the homeland of the cat race in the chapter “Elsweyr” and the story DLC “Dragonhold”. The northern Elsweyr becomes the stage for the first battles against dragons, but also provides you with enough time to learn about the country and its people in side quests. Special bonus: Even the most famous Khajiit of the game – Rhazum’dar – has a task waiting for you in his home! In southern Elsweyr you complete the battle against the dragons in “Dragonhold” and immerse yourself deeper into the local traditions thanks to exciting side quests.
Nord
In the northern edge of Skyrim you’ll have to deal with the Nord in the chapter “Greymoor”, who have created an appealing home for themselves despite the barren landscape. While you try to thwart the evil plans of a vampire lord, you also learn about the way of life of the Nord of Skyrim and support local leaders and High King Svargrim in their troubles.
Orcs
In the story DLC “Orsinium” the newly built capital of the orc kingdom Wrothgar is actually supposed to consolidate King Kurog’s claim to rule all orc clans. You help the king to reunite the clans against dark schemes and intrigues. You will learn a lot about the background history of the orcs and the way of life of the clans.
New classes, skill lines and play styles
In addition to the existing classes Dragonknight, Templar, Nightblade and Sorcerer in the base game, two chapters add another two classes to the game: In Morrowind you unlock the Warden, who is suitable for many challenges thanks to his pets, healing abilities and control effects. In Elsweyr, the Necromancer enriches your class selection and brings bone-healing, damage and defense effects. Since the Necromancer uses a lot of undead minions and corpses for his own benefit, his knowledge is less appreciated in secure settlements, but even more in dungeons!
Stealing and killing
It gets really roguish when you join the Thieves Guild in the DLC “Thieves Guild” and slowly work your way up in this almost extinct community. To do this, you’ll sneak into sealed-off areas, steal valuable items and use passive skills to improve your sneaking and pickpocketing skills. If you’re not comfortable with sneaking and the stealthy mechanics of the game, don’t bother with this addon.
The same applies to the DLC “Dark Brotherhood”, in which you become a professional assassin and will produce a lot of corpses for the Dark Brotherhood. Especially the tough challenges of killing your targets as quietly as possible are not for everyone, but the interesting story of the Brotherhood is worth the effort. Combined with the passive skills from the Thieves Guild DLC, you’ll become a highly effective killer.
Jewellery and mysticism
If you buy the chapter “Summerset”, you will get two new game options: Firstly, you can try yourself as a jewellery craftsman, crafting necklaces and rings. As usual with the ESO Crafting system, you can add various traits to them or create them as set items with special bonuses.
Following the Summerset main story, you’ll meet the Mystics of the Psijik Order, who watch over time breaches on the timeless island of Artaeum and all events on Tamriel. If you continue the Psijik Order quest series after completing the main quest, you will unlock useful support skills in the Psijik Skill Line. Despite the somewhat monotonous pursuit of time breaches, a talking artifact is particularly rewarding, and will add a few amusing comments to your tasks.
The mysterious ESO: Daedra, Dragons, Dark Creatures
A world as rich as Tamriel also offers a wide variety of enemies to deal with, either in dungeons or along quest lines. Depending on your preferences, our Elder Scrolls Online Addons Guide will tell you what types of enemies you will encounter. Through quests and other information you will learn more about their background and their place in the gameworld.
Daedra and their plots
The powerful Daedra Princes already play an important role in the base game as the sinister Molag Bal tries to gain control of Tamriel. In the addons, various Daedra princes also reach out with their greedy fingers for the sphere of the living and gain influence by the support of cultists and power-hungry individuals. Molag Bal tries again to get his hands on Tamriel in the DLC “Imperial City” and is working to conquer the Imperial City – which you have to prevent, of course.
Two members of the demigodly dark-elf triumvirate have to defend themselves against the influence of the Daedra as well: If you play the story DLC “Clockwork City” and the chapter “Morrowind” one after the other, you support Sotha Sil and Vivec against the plots of several Daedra Lords who try to diminish their power in different ways. In the Summerset chapter, Sotha Sil will support you against other Daedra who seek to take over the idyllic High Elf Island. The dungeon DLC “Wolfhunter” lets you gain influence in the “March of Sacrifice” with Hircine, the Daedra prince of hunting.
Dragons
If you’ve always wanted to be a dragon hunter, there’s plenty to do in the chapter “Elsweyr” and the story DLC “Dragonhold”: You save the home of the Khajiit from the winged creatures in the course of the main story of both addons, which are based on each other. In the dungeon DLC “Scalebreaker” you face another powerful dragon in the “Lair of Maarselok”, who took the opportunity to increase his power. In the Dragon Bones DLC, you will attempt to prevent a necromancer cult from taking place in the Fang Lair dungeon and defeat a resurrected undead dragon.
Vampires and Werewolves
Bloodsuckers play an important role in the chapter “Greymoor”, as a vampire lord tries to conquer Western Skyrim. In the process, many vampires maraud through the once peaceful lands of the Nord. Dungeon DLC “Scalebreaker” sends you into battle against an entire vampire clan in the dungeon “Moongrave Fane”. You have to prevail against werewolves in the DLC “Wolfhunter” dungeon: In the dungeon “Moon Hunter Keep” you have to exterminate a whole werewolf clan.
Dark cults, sinister folks
Among all the supernatural beings, one might almost forget those common mortals who, as cultists or in dark societies, have devoted themselves to malevolent goals and stand against the righteous residents of Tamriel. You will deal with the Reachmen in two dungeons of the dungeon DLC “Horns of the Reach”: First, you save a city from attacks by Reachmen and Minotaurs, and second, you thwart the Reachmen’s attempt to gain more power through the mysterious Blood Source Forge.
In the Dragon Bones dungeon DLC, you’ll encounter a Cult of Pestilence that is trying to summon a devastating pestilence in the “Scalecaller Peak” dungeon. The witches of the Icereach Coven are gathering power in the dungeon DLC “Harrowstorm” in the dungeon “Icereach” and is preparing an unholy ritual, which you will heroically disrupt, of course. Finally, in the “Shadows of the Hist” dungeon DLC, you thwart the plans of a renegade group of Assassins in the “Cradle of Shadows” dungeon.
Bizarre and Unique Regions in ESO
Most races and regions in fantasy MMORPGs more or less resemble real-world cultures and landscapes. Elder Scrolls Online manages to offer something really new, apart from many fantasy stereotypes, by offering unique regions, great details and their integration into the historical background of Tamriel. That’s why we take a closer look at three particular unique corners of the game world in this guide section.
If you travel through areas where the Dark Elves live, you will notice one outstanding characteristic of these areas: Giant mushrooms are everywhere, dominating the landscape like trees. The Isle of Vvardenfell in the Morrowind chapter is full of them. The Dark Elf House of Telvanni is even building mushroom towers and their special look fits perfectly into the environment. Vvardenfell presents characteristic landscapes ranging from slightly marshy, fertile plains to the ash-contaminated, barren environment of a mighty volcano. A look at the cultural peculiarities and preferences of the various dark elf houses also creates the feeling of a completely foreign, special world in which you will be happy to explore even further.
The story DLC “Clockwork City” takes you into a world that is completely artificially created and where even animals, trees and resources are of mechanical nature. Sotha Sil’s ingenious work of course has its dark sides and grim spots, but it’s just this last missing bit of perfection that makes it look particularly realistic. The philosophy of the prevailing culture there is very different from the habits of all other races and offers space for everyone who believes in Sotha Sil’s construct. Especially the side quests, which familiarize you with further details of the Clockwork City and its problems, are worthwhile. Make sure to visit Clockwork City!
The chapter “Greymoor” takes you to Western Skyrim, which at first sight offers rather ordinary, nordic views. However, if you enter the region of Blackreach below Skyrim, you will find yourself in a fascinating underworld, dominated by phosphorescent plants, crystals, dark corners and mysterious buildings. The vampires and werewolves that live here have adapted particularly well to the environment. There are also some Dwemer ruins waiting to be explored. For a first visit, look for the three large lifts leading from Skyrim into the deep. Don’t worry: If you don’t find them that quickly, the main quest will take you to the depths soon enough.
Elder Scrolls Online DLC with unique regions
These addons take you to unique and bizarre regions:
- Story-DLC Clockwork City (completely mechanical, artificially created world)
- Chapter Morrowind (Mushrooms, Dark Elves and plenty of culture)
- Chapter Greymoor (underground, gloomy and vampire dominated environment)
