General:ESO 2022 Global Reveal

ESO 2022 Global Reveal
Medium/Format	Online Interview
Date	January 27, 2022
Hosted By	Twitch, eso.com
Previous	ESO 2021 Global Reveal
Next	ESO 2023 Global Reveal

Global reveal for the High Isle chapter and its Legacy of the Bretons arc. See also High Isle Chapter Preview.

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[Shows the Welcome to The Elder Scrolls Online trailer]

Matt Firor: Greetings everyone, welcome to the show. I know you're all excited to see the amazing things we have coming up this year. But before we get started, I'd like to take a minute and just talk about the video you just saw. It was a brief description of some of the basic systems of ESO, but the game itself is so much more than that, and I really mean it. ESO is just as much a virtual world as it is a game, as over 20 million of you know, it's part of your lives. Over the last two years, we know that so many of you found some temporary respite from the world by spending time in Tamriel. We're so proud and so humbled to help, even in this small way. Everyone at ZeniMax Online is continually reminded that we make the game, but you make it awesome. That's why I want to take a minute to welcome you, those of you who have been with us from the beginning, those of you who've joined us recently, and the many new players who are looking for a new fantasy virtual world to call home. Welcome to you all. Those new to the game will quickly find that ESO's greatest strength is providing so many different ways to live your virtual life in Tamriel. Solo, Group, Co-op, PVP, crafting, decorating your home, chatting with friends, it's all there. We've got a ton of new things to share with you in today's show. For starters, this year-long adventure will be a return to our storytelling roots. Instead of another Daedric invasion story, 2022 will feature a tale of political intrigue and subterfuge unfolding in a location you have never seen before in an Elder Scrolls game, ever. And with that, I'd like to turn it over to my good friend, Pete Hines, who is on set and ready to go.

Introduction

Pete Hines: Welcome everyone to the 2022 Elder Scrolls Online Global Reveal Event. Today you're getting an in-depth look at the next year-long adventure in the Elder Scrolls Online. And as Matt mentioned, the team at ZeniMax Online Studios is excited to share exclusive new details about a part of The Elder Scrolls that's never been explored before. and stick around for a special ESO live after the show, where we'll go over the upcoming chapter, as well as new details surrounding our first DLC in this year's adventure. With me once again is the one and only Rich Lambert. Hey Rich!

Rich Lambert: Hey Pete!

Pete Hines: Welcome.

Rich Lambert: Thank you. I'm really, really excited to be here and hello to everybody back home.

Pete Hines: Congrats on 20 million players. It's a huge accomplishment. For the folks tuning in who may not know a lot about Elder Scrolls Online, give us a sense of what is Elder Scrolls Online?

Rich Lambert: ESO is an Elder Scrolls game, first and foremost, and it is a game about your personal journey through the world. With One Tamriel, we removed all the arbitrary level gates that prevent you from exploring, and you can just pick a direction and go and do whatever you want.

Pete Hines: And there's a ton of stuff you can spend your time doing. It's not just like go fight things or do quests, but it's really a breadth of content.

Rich Lambert: It is. There's so much to do in the Elder Scrolls Online, and it ranges from questing, to PVP, housing, crafting, the justice system. There's also loads of group-oriented content in our dungeons and trials. we've also got a number of collection-based systems that players can participate in. So from treasure hunting, to antiquities, collecting lore books and it's just. The list goes on and on and on. It's a massive game.

Pete Hines: It's an Elder Scrolls game.

Rich Lambert: It is.

Pete Hines: But it's online. There's a ton of stuff to do, just like you would expect in an Elder Scrolls game. And much like an Elder Scrolls game, it has an amazing community around it that's built up around ESO. Talk a little bit about the folks that have really made this game what it is.

Rich Lambert: They're really what makes the game special. It's the community that makes the world come alive. They are incredibly supportive. They just love sharing their love of Elder Scrolls with other players, and are hands down the best community in games.

Pete Hines: These folks are truly what make this game special. And you know if you want help, they're always there waiting to help you out. But it's really up to you to decide whether you want to play this game by yourself, or spend time playing with others.

Rich Lambert: Absolutely. This is an online game, so you're bound to run across other players. But it's your choice if you want to interact with them or not. And I highly recommend that you do so, because the social bonds that you develop with those players can last a lifetime.

Pete Hines: And if you want to play online, but by yourself, but not by yourself, you also have companions, which are NPCs that you can bring along with you. And what does a companion do for you?

Rich Lambert: A companion is your personal adventuring buddy. They're always there for you, and they can help you out progress through the world. So if you need a little bit of help tanking enemies, you need some extra damage, you need some healing, they're always going to be there for you.

Pete Hines: So last question for me before we jump in, because I know you're all super excited to hear what's new. You shared some exciting news last year for the Spanish speaking community, and I wondered if you had any new details to share with those folks about what's coming.

Rich Lambert: We do. So back in October, we announced that Spanish localization was coming to ESO in 2022. We're very excited to let everybody know that it will be available with this year's chapter in June. And we're also excited to let you all know that the Spanish forums for The Elder Scrolls Online are live today.

Pete Hines: So if you want to come join us on elderscrollsonline.com, we've got the Spanish forums up and running live and we look forward to seeing our Spanish community there. Great stuff but I know everybody's ready to get to that new content. So what do you got for us?

Rich Lambert: So i'd like to welcome everybody to High isle, the next chapter of The Elder Scrolls Online and the centerpiece of this year's Legacy of the Bretons adventure. let's check out our new cinematic trailer.

[Shows The Elder Scrolls Online: Legacy of the Bretons - Cinematic Announcement Trailer ]

Background

Pete Hines: so we just got our first look at The Elder Scrolls Online: High Isle. Rich, give us a little background on this year's adventure.

Rich Lambert: This year's adventure is called Legacy of the Bretons, and our focus is on exploring Breton lore and culture. It's a story that's being told over four major updates this year, and as Matt said earlier, we're kind of going back to our roots in terms of storytelling. This is going to feel like a classic Elder Scrolls game. The Bretons are this traditional medieval feudal society with knights, noble houses, and of course all the politics that surround that.

Pete Hines: Politics. Our fans love politics, Rich. Especially in the Elder Scrolls, at least. So for those familiar with Tamriel in the Second Era, or maybe not, talk a little bit about the Three Banners War and where it's left Tamriel.

Rich Lambert: Sure, so the Three Banners War is currently raging throughout Tamriel, and it has left that land fractured, with all the factions vying for power over Cyrodiil and the Imperial City. And this year-long story is focused on a dream to end that war. It's going to be an adventure.

Pete Hines: It's always an adventure. Now High Isle is a spot that most fans are not going to be familiar with. It's a bit of an unknown.

Rich Lambert: It is. It is a location that's never been explored before in an Elder Scrolls game. High Isle is one of the four islands in the Systres Archipelago, which is an island chain located far to the southwest of Daggerfall and northwest of Summerset. And has only ever been documented by a single map in Redguard. And it's really, really exciting for us to be able to do something completely different this year, completely new, and we can't wait to share it with everybody.

Pete Hines: Now we're focused on the Bretons this year. Tell us a little bit more about the Bretons and their culture. What can we expect to learn in in this year's adventure?

Rich Lambert: When you go to High Isle, you are going to see that this is the epitome of Breton culture. This is feudal medieval castles and tournament grounds. This is a resort destination for Tamriel's wealthy. And as it's far removed from the mainland, it's a bit of a safe haven, and therefore a perfect location for secret peace talks between the alliance delegates. And these peace talks are being hosted by the Society of the Steadfast, which is a new faction led by an extremely wealthy noble in High Isle named Baron Bacaro. And of course, this is an Elder Scrolls story, so of course there are groups out there who stand to profit and gain power due to the war. So any hint of peace talks could quickly result in an opposition and sabotage.

Pete Hines: Do we know who's behind preventing these peace talks?

Rich Lambert: We do. So there are whispers of a secret society named the Ascendant Order who threaten to ruin the peace talks. They're led by the Ascendant Lord, and I'm going to leave the rest up to the players to figure out.

Pete Hines. Ooh cliffhanger. Now it's been a while since ZOS had the opportunity to create and add completely new elements to The Elder Scrolls, so this has to be exciting for you.

Conceptualization

Rich Lambert: It is amazing. It's fun to go back and re-envision content, but conceptualizing an entire region from scratch is daunting. So who better to talk about that than our art director, Cj Grebb? And he's going to walk us through it.

Cj Grebb: Hi, everyone. As always it's very exciting to be part of creating a brand new Elder Scrolls story. This time it's the Systres Archipelago, and it's especially exciting to get to build a little-known and never before explored corner of the Elder Scrolls world. Our concept team began finding inspiration for the island's look from the beautiful, windswept shores of the Mediterranean. We see stunning waterfalls, imposing cliffs, and oceanside beaches that one would find scattering the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The landscape highlights the natural beauty of the island, but their civilization as well. Our team knew how important such an addition of the world could be to the deep history and lore of the Bretons, and how important that would be to so many fans of Elder Scrolls. We leaned into the architectural and cultural traditions from medieval and feudal Europe, knowing this could be blended into our established Breton designs from the base game. The dense city streets of Gonfalon Bay, and the idyllic coastal palace of Castle Navire, are prime examples of the imposing Breton structures and hidden underground catacombs born from that work.

Players will also find medieval fanfare and splendor on the tournament grounds, where nobility and commoner alike enjoy festivities. The nobles treat High Isle like a resort, and that's reflected in the way the nobles dress. High Isle elite always dress in their finest, projecting their status as not only the leaders of the great family houses, but their barely hidden-ambitions to command the archipelago with total power. All of this pomp and circumstance gave us the opportunity to return to the classic medieval armor and attire so distinct of the Breton style. Plate armor, tabards, and heraldry.

The beauty of High Isle shines like a beacon to the rest of Tamriel, but it can't all be sandy beaches and sunflowers. The dark side of High Isle's success lies directly to the north. There, across the water, you'll find the dense deadly jungle island of Amenos. This area serves as a prison for criminals and dissidents deemed unworthy of High Isle. Once inside, there are no guards, no law, and little chance of escape. Good luck. There's more than two locations that players can look forward to, as the Systres Archipelago is an island chain players will get to explore throughout the year.

What to Expect

Pete Hines: High Isle is one part of the Legacy of the Breton, what we call our year-long adventure. Rich, what else can folks expect?

Rich Lambert: We're going to start this year off in March with the Ascending Tide DLC, and that adds two new dungeons. And stories from that DLC set the tone and provide backstory for the events that kick off in the High Isle chapter in June. And of course this is a year-long story, so we're going to continue it in quarter three and quarter four later this year.

Pete Hines: And it doesn't matter how much you've played ESO in order to experience the new content, right?

Rich Lambert: Right, both new and returning players can jump in at any time. That's the beauty of ESO. You don't have to level up through years of older content. You don't have to play it in a specific order. You can just jump in and play at your own pace.

Pete Hines: Now let's hear from our community team on how you can get started with High Isle today.

Get Started with High Isle

Gina Bruno: Hey, everyone. We're here to let you know that starting right now, you can pre-purchase The Elder Scrolls Online: High Isle for all platforms. This new chapter will launch on June 6 for PC, Mac, and Stadia, and June 21st on consoles. And just as a reminder, ESO is available on Xbox Series X and S and PlayStation 5, which features 4k, high fidelity, and 60fps performance modes. If you already own the game, you can get this version as a free upgrade. As for High Isle, you can pre-purchase by visiting elderscrollsonline.com or one of many online retailers. Now when you pre-purchase the chapter, you'll immediately receive a matching set of the Palefrost Elk Mount, and the limited-time Palefrost Elk Fawn pet. Though keep in mind, the pet is only available if you pre-purchase now through April 4th.

Jessica Folsom: We have a few different ways to hop in and start your adventure in ESO, and if you're wondering which version is right for you, well we're here to break it down. If you're new to the game and want to dive in right now, the ESO collection High Isle is for you. This collection gets you instant access to everything the base game has to offer, along with all five previous annual chapters. You can play in any order however you like. So you can begin your Tamriel adventure today, and of course you'll have full access to High Isle once it launches in June.

Gina Bruno: Alternatively, if you already own the base game or any of the previous chapters, you'll want to grab the upgrade version.

Jessica Folsom: we also have collector's editions available that are great for new and existing players alike. These editions contain even more bonus items that will be available when High Isle launches — like a brand new mount type, and an epic armor outfit style. So what about new merch? We've got that too. If you want to get your hands on some sweet High Isle merch, we have brand new items available for pre-purchase on the Bethesda Gear Store. Like this Ascendant Lord statue, new High Isle t-shirt, key art lithograph, and more.

Gina Bruno: We'll both be back right after today's show to give you a first look at the Ascending Tide DLC and Update 33, show off some additional ESO merch and more. So stick around and we'll see you all soon.

Jessica Folsom: And now let's hear from Loremaster Leamon. He's got details on the story you'll experience in High Isle, and some of the characters you'll meet along the way.

Lore

Leamon Tuttle: Hey gang, I am so psyched to be part of the team bringing a brand new story and new setting to the world of Elder Scrolls. Exploring the Legacy of the Bretons provided us with a great opportunity to dig into the history, the culture, and the geography of western Tamriel. While the Systres Archipelago has gone unexplored until, now every aspect of its history and culture has roots in the lore of Tamriel. And we have had a blast taking the Bretons out to sea and building High Isle into something familiar, but also profoundly unique.

To begin let's touch on who the Bretons are. They're a fascinating race with a really complex history that hasn't really been touched on previous Elder Scrolls adventures. The Bretons are a hybrid race, the descendants of both humans and elves, which gives them a unique perspective on Nirn's oldest feud: the conflict between men and mer. It's a lot more than just knights in shining armor. One of the most distinctive parts of Breton culture is how it's organized. High Isle is an openly feudal society that has a lot in common with the European-style feudalism we see in the mid to late Middle Ages. Peasants and sailors labor at the bottom, while nobles engage in an endless dance of palace intrigues, political marriages, and shifting alliances at the top. In the throne rooms of High Rock and the Systres Isle, ruthlessness can be a virtue, so watch your back. It's not all sinister plotting and knives in the dark though. The high romance of Arthurian legend has a place here, too. Many Breton nobles are stuck navigating core conspiracies, sure. But others, the shining knights of old, set out on grand quests for adventure and glory. And there's plenty of glory to be found in the wilds of High Isle and Amenos.

You won't do it alone, though. A few of our favorite ESO characters from High rock and Elsweyr are returning to lend a hand. Jakarn, professional thief and raconteur, and Captain Za'ji, the Khajiit captain of the Perfect Pounce, will both help you untangle the plots of the Ascendant Order. The zealots of the Ascendant Order are the chief antagonists here in the Systres. These well-armed fanatics want to bring about a new utopia without crowns or thrones, and they're willing to kill as many people as necessary to make that happen. You'll definitely want to keep an eye out for their leaders too, the Ascendant Lord and his chief lieutenant, the Ascendant Magus. These mysterious rulers may have influence that runs deep in the Systres Isle.

High Isle is packed full of intrigue, adventure, and exciting Breton lore. I can't wait for you to visit the Systres. You're really gonna dig it.

Tales of Tribute

Pete Hines: We've discussed the upcoming story and location for High Isle, but we have a new game system coming with this chapter as well, and I've been waiting this whole time to talk about it, because it features something I love. It's a collectible card game.

Rich Lambert: You're right, and we're calling this new system Tales of Tribute. It's a collectible card game that is played entirely within ESO. This is something I've always wanted to see come to ESO, and I'm super excited we're finally able to add it.

Pete Hines: So how will Tales of Tribute be integrated into the game? Like, am I playing it wherever I want? Is it certain situations? How does this work?

Rich Lambert: You're generally going to be able to play it anywhere. You'll find it in taverns throughout Tamriel. You can also just go up to somebody and challenge them directly, or you can find a match in the group UI. And in addition, there is a storyline that you could advance by challenging certain NPCs throughout the world, or you can play against other players as it has its own ranking system as well.

Pete Hines: So there's a single-player kind of thing, and there's also a PVP with its own ranking system. Oh, this is getting better and better. Now, how do I earn new cards, new decks? I assume there's some of both. How do i go about doing that?

Rich Lambert: Yeah, so once you complete the tutorial, you unlock the four starter decks and that's what gets you into playing right away. And then as you explore the world, you complete the quests. You will start to unlock and find new patron decks that add to your cards. You will also find unique individual upgraded cards as well, so there's lots of exploration tacked on top of this.

Pete Hines: So you said the CCG was different than other ones. So which one is this like? Is this a resource building game? Is this a combat game? What am I going to be doing?

Rich Lambert: So this is a resource building game where you're both working towards trying to reach the victory point goal, and you can do that in a bunch of different ways. You can use the patrons themselves to curry favor to help you advance through it. So it's all about strategy rather than combat.

Pete Hines: And essentially, we're on a race to get to a certain number of points, gather the most resources before our opponent does, right?

Rich Lambert: Yup.

Pete Hines: What kind of rewards do I unlock in the game? Like, I assume I'm just not unlocking cards and decks. Do I get to unlock stuff in ESO itself?

Rich Lambert: Absolutely. There are tons of different rewards in this, ranging from cosmetics, to furnishings, to gold, to crafting materials including transmute stones, which is something players really want. So there's really something for everyone here, and I really want to enforce one big point when it comes to Tales of Tribute, and that is you're not going to be at a disadvantage if you're playing someone who's already unlocked all the cards, all the upgrade cards. Because at the start of the game, you pick two decks to put into play. Your opponent picks two decks. they're shuffled together and you both play from that same common deck.

Pete Hines: So it's not only balanced, so that I can play somebody who's been playing forever unlocked, but I also get maybe a chance to try some cards or decks that that I haven't unlocked yet.

Rich Lambert. Absolutely, yep.

Pete Hines: Super cool. I'm so excited about this, and I'm sure we got a lot more to share on this.

Rich Lambert: We do, we just scratched the surface. This is a really big system. So as we get closer to PTS, we'll give a lot more detail and have a big deep dive on this. So stay tuned we're really excited for it.

New Companions

Pete Hines: Now pardon my terrible pun, but I hear there's something else in the cards, like maybe a new adventuring buddy or two to help on quests.

Rich Lambert: You are correct. So we have two new companions coming with High Isle. The community loved the companion system we introduced in Blackwood, so the team has been hard at work adding more. And I don't want to spoil the stories too much, but I'll give a little bit of a tease to the two new ones. So one is named Ember, and she is a Khajiit. And the other is a Breton named Isobel. Ember grew up on the streets, so she's a little bit morally flexible, if you will. She's clever, she's a bit wild. She has a knack for magic. Whereas Isobel, on the other hand, is an aspiring knight, who leans towards the honorable ideal. She's not preachy, lecturing, or stiff though, she just really wants to do right by players.

Pete Hines: It sounds amazing. I can't wait to have a new adventuring buddy as we explore the next chapter. Now before you go, is there anything else?

Wrapping Up

Rich Lambert: Yeah, there's tons more info to share with you all. I just want to thank the community. We wouldn't be able to do this without them. And I also want to take a moment to recognize the team back home. You know everybody at home working on ESO, they're amazingly talented and passionate at what they do. And they get asked to solve impossible problems on a regular basis. It is such a treat to be able to work with this passionate group of people and get to represent them. So from both Matt and I, thank you so much everybody, for all you do. You're amazing.

Pete Hines: Today we've discussed High Isle's interesting locations, characters, and lore. We touched on an upcoming card game system, two new companions, and digital rewards players can unlock when they pre-purchase the game. We also announced that ESO will be available with Spanish language support in June. Before we go, I'd like to share a few reminders. ESO High Isle is available to pre-purchase now on all platforms. New players who pre-purchase the ESO collection High Isle will get instant access to the base game and all previous chapters, so you can start your adventures right away. And stick with us for our post show hosted by Jess and Gina who will talk more about the things we've discussed here, as well as the first DLC, and the Legacy of the Bretons adventure. Thank you for joining us. We'll see you in Tamriel.