Everything new in Elder Scrolls Online Update 44

Elder Scrolls Online has a massive update coming. The Update 44 brings with it some changes and virtually everything in it except the two new Companions is free for all players. If you have ESO+, you will also get the companions for free. If not, you can simply purchase them with crowns. That being said, this update has several things fans have been looking forward to, and they won’t have to wait all that long unless you’re on console.

Update 44 of Elder Scrolls Online hits PC clients on October 28, 2024, while PlayStation/Xbox players will get the update on November 13, 2024. In addition, this update is already available on the PTS, so if you want to check it out, you have access to it right now. Like previous updates to ESO, there’s a lot to be excited about, so here’s what you can expect in October 2024.

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What’s new in Elder Scrolls Online Update 44?

PVP is getting a big shakeup in Update 44 (Image via ZeniMax Online)

Elder Scrolls Online’s Update 44 features some amazing changes to the game, such as a Major Battlegrounds Update. Rich Lambert teased a PVP feature coming later in the year, and it may finally be time for that.

Update 44 is changing how Battlegrounds work going forward. The days of three-sided matches are gone, and the game will change to a two-sided match. There will be two types of PVP matches at launch:

• 4 vs. 4: A competitive mode between two teams of four players.
• 8 vs. 8: A standard mode featuring powerups, and two teams of eight players.

While 4v4v4 will be gone, the Elder Scrolls Online developers did state it could return in the future, as a limited-time mode, during special PVP events. There will also be seven new maps to battle on when this update hits.

The current Battleground types will remain, with the change that Chaosball and Capture the Relic will be 8v8 only. Players will want to seek out the powerups in the 8v8 mode, as they can grant temporary, but incredible boosts to your power.

If you aren’t a PVP fan, Elder Scrolls Online also has something for you in the form of two New Companions: Tanlorin (Khajiit) and Zerith-var (High Elf). Tanlorin is a mighty Necromancer, while Zerith-var is a Dragonknight who also has access to Soul Magic. As mentioned earlier, if you have ESO+, you can unlock these two for free.

Two new companions await if you have the Crowns (Image via ZeniMax Online)

To recruit Tanlorin, you will still have to head to Auridon, and for Zerith-var, you will have to hit up Reaper’s March. This will involve completing a quest for each of these characters. However, you also unlock special perks while adventuring with these two:

• Tanlorin (Tanlorin’s Finesse): Increase to the time it takes to pick a lock, an increased chance to force a lock, and a reduced chance to break a lockpick.
• Zerith-var (Zerith’s Guidance): Highlights valuable bags of loot found throughout Tamriel.

In addition, the Scribe System is getting an update. Originally added in Update 42, a new Scribe ability, Banner Bearer, will be added in the current update. This ability lets you put a banner on your back, and produce an AOE buff for your group’s abilities that match your chosen Focus. In addition, 14 Focus Scripts will be added, to give more flexibility and options for players. More information will be available when the official patch notes go out.

Finally, there’s a wealth of quality-of-life changes, fixes, and improvements to the game. The In-Game Tutorial will be updated, removing Gates of Adamant. Instead, players will start with Soul Shriven in Coldharbour. The Imperial City is also seeing improvements in its itemization, so that players who go and battle will have rewards worthy of their work.

There's so much new content waiting in Update 44 of Elder Scrolls Online (Image via ZeniMax Online)

A new activity, Golden Pursuits is being added as dynamic, one-off campaigns that let you earn additional rewards for a limited time. This will be a great way to pick up in-game currency, collectibles, and much more.

There will also be more Skill Styles added to the game. Psijic Order skills Accelerate and Undo will receive purple variants, and the One-Hand/Shield skill lines Puncture ability will get a molten variant. Destruction Staff’s Force Shock will get a wildburn variant as well. These abilities will be brand-new special effects, which are a first.

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This is only a taste of what’s coming in Update 44 of Elder Scrolls Online. As the update draws nearer, the developers will no doubt offer more information about what exactly awaits players.