What you need to know
- The Elder Scrolls Online: Gold Road is the 2024 expansion for ZeniMax Online Studios' ongoing MMORPG.
- This chapter follows up on the cliffhanger ending of 2023's Necrom chapter, with players in hot pursuit of a previously-unknown Daedric Prince.
- The Elder Scrolls Online: Gold Road is slated to launch on June 3, 2024 for Windows PC, with the Xbox and PlayStation console versions coming on June 18, 2024.
The next big chapter of ZeniMax Online Studios' MMORPG is on the way.
The teams at the studio and Bethesda Softworks shared new details on Thursday, revealing that Gold Road is the next big expansion for The Elder Scrolls Online. This expansion is directly following the big reveal at the end of The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom, with the plot following the newly-revealed Daedric Prince, Ithelia.
Ithelia's trail leads to the West Weald of Tamriel, a region of Cyrodiil that borders Elsweyr and Valenwood. The zone players explore will include three distinct regions, with the Autumn-rich colors of the Gold Road, the rocky Colovian Highlands, and the mysterious jungle rainforest of the Valenwood Annexation.
Gold Road also introduces "Scribing," a new feature that's meant to be a predecessor to spell-crafting in-universe. Scribing allows players to customize unique skills, changing out primary, secondary, and even tertiary effects. Players can even customize the colors with Styling, with 22 options at launch.
The Elder Scrolls Online: Gold Road is launching on June 3, 2024 for Windows PC and Mac, with the Xbox and PlayStation console versions launching slightly later on June 18, 2024. It's sized comparably to past expansions, with around 30 hours of story and side quests for players to explore.
What else is coming to The Elder Scrolls Online in 2024?
Prior to the launch of Gold Road, update 41 will arrive in March 2024, bringing a Prologue that bridges the gap between the events of Necrom and Gold Road.
In the third quarter update, the team will again be focusing on quality of life features and fixing bugs, though there is a new Housing feature coming as well. No real details are known at this time.
Finally, before the year ends, there'll be a PvP-themed update in the fourth quarter update. This'll also be when two new companions arrive.
Is now a great time to jump into The Elder Scrolls Online?
As someone who definitely didn't start playing The Elder Scrolls Online when it first launched, this is a good time to hop in. For anyone considering starting out, I recommend beginning by diving into the Necrom chapter, since it ties directly into the story being told in The Elder Scrolls Online: Gold Road. There's also a free trial available right now on all platforms, granting access to older DLCs and expansions.
Analysis: A fun year ahead
The Elder Scrolls Online really found its groove last year, and I had a ton of fun going through the Necrom story. Continuing on that path is a great idea, and I'm curious to learn more about this Forgotten Prince, Ithelia.
Ithelia is described as being a "180" from the tentacles and eldritch horror of Hermaeus Mora, being instead of "crystal and color." That's an intriguing addition to The Elder Scrolls lore, so I'll be eagerly awaiting Gold Road's launch in June.
