The Elder Scrolls Online is continuing to expand, as previously paid DLC content for the Dark Brotherhood, Thieves Guild, and more will soon become part of the base game for free.
In March with the game’s Update 49, the Dark Brotherhood, Thieves Guild, Imperial City, and Orsinium DLC will be folded into the base game and become accessible for all players. Closer to the end of the year, the Greymoor chapter will also become part of the base game.
Currently, ESO players need to subscribe to the game’s optional ESO Plus membership (around $15 a month) or purchase each DLC separately using the game’s premium currency, Crowns, in order to access the content outlined above.
Orsinium, released in 2015, added the homeland of the orcs and new dungeons for players to explore at the cost of 3,000 Crowns, or around $25. The Imperial City DLC, released in 2015 for 2,500 Crowns (roughly $20), saw players return to one of Oblivion’s most iconic locations in an effort to stop Molag Bal’s daedric forces from abusing the seat of power at the center of Tamriel. Both the Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild DLC released in 2016 for 2,000 Crowns each, translating to about $20 per DLC.
With the Dark Brotherhood DLC, players are able to join the shadowy organization of assassins and gain access to a new Assassin passive skill line that more easily allows for the murder of NPCs. Those who join the Thieves Guild gain access to sneaking-and-stealing-focused passive skills, allowing players to make more money from stolen goods and access special treasure troves hidden across Tamriel.
Greymoor, meanwhile, will be the biggest addition of the bunch when it becomes free sometime in the winter of 2026. The chapter originally released in 2020 and introduced the western regions of Skyrim, where players can embark on a quest to stop an ancient vampire lord.
The news of previously premium DLC becoming free came as part of a recent ESO 2026 roadmap livestream. During the presentation, developer ZeniMax Online Studios outlined its plans for its MMORPG in the year ahead–one that includes a new seasonal focus, the addition of a battle pass, and class reworks. ESO’s move to a seasonal model comes after a transitional 2025 that didn’t see the release of a new chapter. Instead, 2025 saw the release of one experimental season, Seasons of the Worm Cult, that played out over the course of the year.
In addition to free DLC, ZeniMax Online also confirmed it’s working to finally bring cross-play to ESO in the future, though it sounds like it could still be a while before players on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation are able to play together.
