I’ve spent more time than I’d like to admit wondering when The Elder Scrolls 6 will finally arrive. Skyrim remains one of my favorite RPGs, and though I’ve enjoyed revisiting Tamriel through The Elder Scrolls Online and other games in the meantime, there’s only so much mileage I can get out of another playthrough. Bethesda seems to understand that fans need something to keep them occupied, though, and its latest decision regarding The Elder Scrolls Online makes me wonder just how long we might be waiting for the next mainline entry.
Starting November 9, players can access the Markarth DLC for free, joining Greymoor and Wolfhunter, which have already been added to Elder Scrolls Online‘s base game. That’s a nice amount of previously paid content being made available to everyone, and I don’t think its timing is a coincidence. Bethesda continues to invest in its MMO and promises more adventures in Skyrim throughout 2027; Elder Scrolls Online could be playing an increasingly important role in keeping the Elder Scrolls audience engaged while The Elder Scrolls 6: Sentinel remains in development.
I think that making three substantial The Elder Scrolls Online expansions free is a much bigger deal than it might initially appear. Starting November 9, players can access Markarth alongside Greymoor and Wolfhunter without having to purchase them separately. For newcomers hesitant to jump into an MMO with years of paid extensions behind it, ZeniMax is making it considerably easier to get started, rather than asking players to invest in several older releases.
Guess the games from the emojis.
Greymoor and Markarth are closely connected through Elder Scrolls Online‘s Dark Heart of Skyrim storyline, which takes players through Western Skyrim and into the underground realm of Blackreach. Wolfhunter, meanwhile, gives players access to two dungeon experiences centered around Hircine and his monstrous followers. There’s plenty here for anyone who enjoys Skyrim‘s darker folklore like I do, and I imagine returning players will find many a reason to revisit familiar corners of Tamriel.
But it’s the timing that I think is worth paying attention to. Elder Scrolls Online‘s second season, Echoes of Skyrim, is built around bringing players back to the province, with additional content and quality-of-life improvements planned through January 2027. Even more importantly, ZeniMax has made it clear that it isn’t interested in just maintaining Elder Scrolls Online: Game Director Nick Giacomini has explicitly discussed the studio’s intention to keep growing the MMO, with plans for new Skyrim experiences extending into 2027 and beyond. Making older expansions more freely accessible is a clever way to bring newcomers into that long-term vision, and it still gives existing players more reasons to stick around.
For newcomers hesitant to jump into an MMO with years of paid extensions behind it, ZeniMax is making it considerably easier to get started.
Considering how long fans have been waiting for The Elder Scrolls 6, and with no release date in sight, these three free expansions give fans something to do while the wait stretches longer still. In a sense, it lowers the barrier to entry for new players as ZeniMax prepares its next wave of content. Not to mention that it gives the studio a larger, more accessible player base to build upon, potentially allowing Elder Scrolls Online to serve as the franchise’s central gathering place until Bethesda is ready to return to single-player Tamriel.
I don’t think that The Elder Scrolls online needs to replace Skyrim or, eventually, The Elder Scrolls 6 to justify its continued existence. But its growing role within the franchise is becoming difficult to overlook: for longtime fans, it offers another way to explore Tamriel’s history, culture, and forgotten corners. Newcomers have an increasingly accessible entry point into the series, too. Making Greymoor, Wolfhunter, and Markarth free only strengthens that appeal.
If The Elder Scrolls 6 is still years away like speculation suggests, Elder Scrolls Online has an opportunity to become the defining Elder Scrolls experience for a new generation of players. By the time Bethesda eventually unveils its next major RPG, some fans may have spent years building their own histories in Elder Scrolls Online. That shouldn’t be a bad thing, but now I wonder if the next single-player adventure will have to compete with an Elder Scrolls game that has never really stopped growing.
- Released
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April 4, 2014
- ESRB
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M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence
