Elder Scrolls Online Interview - Looking Ahead with Game Director Matt Firor

During Gamescom 2022, we had the chance to meet up with Zenimax Online's President and Elder Scrolls Online Game Director Matt Firor to talk nearly the game.

The game has been doing very well lately. Update 11 was recently released on all platforms, adding two new dungeons and several improvements such as text conversation on consoles and a PvP town capture system in Cyrodiil.

However, much bigger things are coming with One Tamriel (set up to allow players to group anywhere in PvE regardless of level and alliance) and player housing coming after that. We've talked about these features and a lot more in our overview of the game's time to come.

Kickoff of all, in the game's community folks got used to big QuakeCon presentations where you lot would showcase the game's upcoming features, but this time there was no presentation. I'thousand wondering whether you take something special in shop for later this year to brand up for this?

No, this yr nosotros did E3 which we hadn't done the year earlier. Nosotros didn't have anything new to talk most, and then we decided to but await until Gamescom and PAX. We're going to have a community event on Friday here at Gamescom, and then at PAX we're going to have some other series of community events, so we but decided to spread it out a little more.

Now for the big elephant in the room, is there anything at all yous can tell us about player housing?

Actually the point of Elder Scrolls Online at Gamescom 2022 is to talk nigh 1 Tamriel, which is the side by side large thing. Housing is the thing afterwards that, so we're concentrating more on One Tamriel right now than thespian housing, merely it is going to happen and information technology is going to be the update after One Tamriel.

Some questions from the community. For PvP players, the gap closers event is pretty important and they'd similar to know when you lot plan to prepare it.

Yep, we've been looking at that for a long time. It sounds easy to fix but it'south non, because of the fashion the mechanics work backside the scenes and we don't want to make them not work at all. Then we've been slowly looking at how information technology tin can be done but yes, it will be stock-still.

Roleplayers would like to know whether you have something special coming out for them, like sitting at tables and the likes?

Aye, nosotros're looking at that. We're doing personalities, so nosotros're doing some fun things that roleplayers tin can do. Nosotros're also doing a Witches' Festival result, we're going to exercise a Midwinter "Christmas" event, so we're going to do more stuff like this. Every few updates we try to skid in some fun things for roleplaying.

A while back, yous demonstrated an Arena PvP way at a convention. Is it still on the roadmap?

We take a list of things we're working on. That's further out, but yes, we are still looking at it, information technology'due south even so in our plans but we don't know nevertheless when it'southward going to launch. But it is something we want to do.

Okay. I gauge the same thing could be said near spell crafting?

Same matter. With spell crafting nosotros actually got in plenty to start seeing how it worked, we didn't like the design so much and information technology was going to be more work than nosotros idea to go it to launch so we kind of put it aside to do Thieves Guild, Dark Brotherhood, One Tamriel, housing etc.

But it will come eventually, information technology's just farther out.

Practice you intend to introduce new skill lines?

Aye, nosotros have things we want to do after One Tamriel and housing. Just you know, for Thieves Guild and Dark Brotherhood we introduced new skill lines and nosotros like to do it from time to fourth dimension.

Are you potentially interested in adding new classes in the future as well?

Yeah, maybe some day. We all have ideas simply for at present we're focused on One Tamriel which is a huge change behind the scenes for the game, with players of all levels playing together, so nosotros want to do all that earlier we start adding new things.

Did you lot go far at the conclusion to bring anybody together with Ane Tamriel considering of player feedback?

Actually, yes. Our DLC is not level based: you tin can get to Orsinium and information technology doesn't matter which level yous are. A lot of feedback was: "it'due south groovy, I can play with all my guild mates here". Nosotros had thought about doing this for a long time, it's always been on our listing to do. We played around with that idea in the DLC because it's smaller and the player reaction was bang-up, so that led down the path to One Tamriel.

So y'all believe it will have a stiff appeal to players.

Yes, specially new players. For players it's all about social, because right now exterior of a dungeon you lot tin can but grouping with people plus or minus iv levels and no one in your brotherhood. With 1 Tamriel you can grouping with about anyone, which makes the game much more social since you can log in and play with whomever y'all want.

If you have a friend that has non played the game still and you take a Veteran rank character, you lot can't really play with them, but after One Tamriel you'll be able to. Information technology's what players expect now: the concept of levelling really comes from the whole first and second generation of MMOs, where everything was a hurdle to be overcome and you have to grind your manner to the end, simply it doesn't have to exist that mode.

You lot can just log into the game and have fun.

Are yous looking to add more globe events, like Nighttime Anchors but dissimilar ones?

Nosotros're doing that more through events, similar the Witches Festival. I know what you're saying though, we don't really accept plans except in I Tamriel where we're going to change zones a piddling bit so that they're more like Orsinium and they have globe bosses. Y'all're walking through Glenumbra and in that location'll be a world boss somewhere at present.

Do y'all have whatever changes coming to crafting?

No, our crafting system is really good, and so we're happy with it.

Bethesda as a whole has been kind of championing mods on consoles with Skyrim Definitive Edition and Fallout four. I'm wondering if this is something you may consider for Elder Scrolls Online?

Nosotros can't, because...maybe UI (user interface) mods, simply you tin't actually do UI mods on consoles, considering so your controller wouldn't work. Bethesda tin do that for its other games because they're single actor.

Lately in that location's been a trend of bringing online communities together through cantankerous-play. Is that something y'all're evaluating for Elder Scrolls Online?

That is non a technical effect, it'south a business concern issue. Nosotros're on dissimilar platforms and each partner has its own ideas on which groups they desire their players to be with. It'south easier for everyone if they're simply in separate communities, that's simply the fashion information technology is for now.

Side by side year, Sony and Microsoft are planning to introduce the PlayStation 4 Neo and Xbox One Scorpio consoles. With the game still having many years worth of content planned, are y'all looking at supporting them?

Yes. Nosotros don't know much about Sony'south because nada has been announced yet, nosotros exercise know about the Xbox Ane. One of the absurd things about ESO is that it was originally developed for PC, and then the engine already understands the concept of scalability. From a development indicate of view, both PS4 and XBV1 are very much like PCs, and then equally they bring new ability online we can hopefully just take advantage of information technology only similar we do on PC.

Speaking nigh the PC version, a while back in a Twitch livestream it was mentioned that Zenimax would exist working on DirectX 12. Is that notwithstanding beingness worked on?

We're DX11 now and for the range of PCs that nosotros accept to back up around the earth, that's the correct decision for us. When yous go to DirectX 12 in that location are restrictions, we're good where nosotros are for now.

Where do you see Elderberry Scrolls Online in two or 3 years from now?

Oh, we take plans for a long time. We have lots of content planned; you know, it's like online games, nosotros'll be making content for as long equally people want to play the game. We're in for the long haul.

Player numbers take been growing, is that right?

Yep, very practiced. We announced seven meg players since launch at E3, the numbers are even college now. We're very happy with the number of players nosotros accept.

Thanks for your time.