ZeniMax Online Studios, the team in charge ofThe Elder Scrolls Online, seems to be working on a triple-A title set in a completely new intellectual property. Though thelaunch ofThe Elder Scrolls Onlinewas met with its fair share of problems and controversies, ever since the launch of One Tamriel, the game has enjoyed a steady stream of new players and quality content.
The Elder Scrolls Onlinehad recently launched its sixth expansion pack,High Isle– focusing on the Bretons in a previously unexplored part of Tamriel. With each year providing players a Chapter, a DLC zone, and two dungeon updates, it’s beyond apparent thatThe Elder Scrolls Onlineshows no signs of slowing down. It is a well-oiled machine that ZeniMax, and by extension Microsoft, will continue to invest in.
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Taking these factors into consideration, it makes sense that the studio that sawThe Elder Scrolls Onlineflourish in a market dominated by giants, such asFinal Fantasy 14andWorld of Warcraft, would be given a new project to tackle. The job posting onZeniMaximplies that this new title is going to be third person, and will feature RPG elements such as progression and leveling.
It may be difficult, if not outright impossible, to dance around the implications that a next-gen MMORPG might be coming from ZeniMax Online Studios. Advances in technology and hardware, as well as the emergence ofgroundbreaking game engines such as Unreal Engine 5, may be setting the stage for a renaissance period in a genre that had become stale in the eyes of the average player.
Though MMOs such asFinal Fantasy 14are overhauling their graphicsto stall the passage of time,The Elder Scrolls Onlinehas perhaps aged better than most, evoking a style that is quintessentiallyElder Scrollsbut still relies more on esthetics rather than fidelity. Players likely won’t see a modernization ofThe Elder Scrolls Onlinein the near future, but the developers potentially getting an opportunity to build a modern MMORPG (or even a single-player game) is a tantalizing thought.
While a multiplayer aspect for this project is still unconfirmed, it would make a great deal of sense to focus on a studio’s strengths. ZeniMax Online Studios accomplished blending a trueElder Scrollsexperience with MMO gameplay, boasting some of the best encounter design in the genre and a vibrant open world. Whatever form this new game may take in the years to come, it seems to be in good hands.
