Please Not ESO's Combat System! Fans Discuss New AAA MMORPG From Elder Scrolls Online Developers

It has been clear since 2019 that the Elder Scrolls Online developers are working on a new AAA MMORPG with a new IP. But what is known about the project five years later? What should a new online role-playing game from the ESO team look like? That’s exactly what the community is currently discussing.

What do we know for sure about the new Zenimax project?

• In August 2018, Zenimax officials were first looking for reinforcements for a new project with a new IP, i.e. a previously unknown brand.
• In May 2019, Zenimax President Matt Ferror confirmed that the project would be a AAA game with a new engine. The game was in pre-production at the time. Incidentally, this is still the status that Zenimax’s official career site is selling to the outside world (via zenimaxonline.com).
• In November 2022, creative director Ben Jones explained on the “Product Builders Podcast” (via YouTube) that 200 developers are now working on the ambitious project.
• More details can be found in the various job applications for the project. Sometimes game designers with MMO, RPG, and open world experience were sought, but also developers were sought to implement first-person and third-person perspectives.

With Elder Scrolls Online, Zenimax is responsible for one of the most successful games on the service in the last decade. Here’s the trailer for the final chapter of Gold Road:

Like Elder Scrolls Online, but different.

What is the community currently discussing? Since this week, there has been an interesting thread on Reddit where MMORPG fans are discussing the known status quo of Zenimax MMORPG and expressing their wishes and concerns.

Thread creator Fit-Bass-7238 was surprised that the project has been in development for so long, but there have been no official updates, insider reports, or leaks in recent years. Instead, there have been all sorts of rumors about a SciFi MMO, Elder Scrolls Online 2, or a new Star Wars MMORPG (even if two out of three don't fit the “new IP” label).

There is a colorful array of comments under the post, here is a selection:

• Excuse_my_GRAMMER (via Reddit) wrote: “Zenimax doesn’t make an announcement until 6 months after shipping. But remember the studio is now owned by Microsoft, so who knows if it will ever be released or if everything will change.
• DashboardGuy206 sums up many fans' thoughts (via Reddit): “ESO, but set in the Star Wars universe, with better combat and a less intrusive cash shop, that's literally my ideal game. That would be insane.”
• Dystopiq pins his hopes on Gamescom 2024 (via Reddit): “Gamescom is right around the corner. Maybe we’ll discover something there.”
• Revave has a live update (via Reddit): “I had the chance to speak with Rich Lambert at the ESO Tavern, where he briefly mentioned that they are still working on the new game and some new staff on this project if I understand him correctly.”

How does MeinMMO editor Karsten Schulz assess the current situation? First, I can confirm what Revave says. Whenever I’ve put Zenimax president Matt Ferro in front of the microphone over the past few years, my last question has been about the studio’s new project, and while he wasn’t allowed or willing to share any details with me, he’s always confirmed that it’s still working on it.

I think the “rumors” about ESO 2 and Star Wars are just nonsense. It has been announced many times and clearly from different directions that the project is supposed to be a new IP. I don't know if there will be new information at Gamescom 2024.

But it’s clear to me that Elder Scrolls Online is still running successfully today. Zenimax shouldn’t feel any pressure to deliver the new project as soon as possible. Plus, developing a new engine for an ambitious project takes a lot of time. I personally don’t expect an official announcement until next year or the year after.

But I also hope that the new MMORPG will rely on a combat system that feels more robust and direct than ESO’s. Plus, in my opinion, every paid game can do without optional subscriptions and a fully-stocked in-game store. Still, when someone announces an MMORPG like this, I sit at the front of the hype train.