The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood & Update 30 Now Live on PC/Mac
Experience a world on the brink of destruction in The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood, a new Chapter in the Elder Scrolls Online saga.
We are happy to announce that The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood and Update 30 are both now live on PC/Mac and Stadia. This new Chapter and update will launch on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on June 8, with Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 also available via backwards compatibility.
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Blackwood Chapter
The Daedric Prince of Destruction, Mehrunes Dagon, has dire plans for the people of Tamriel, and they begin in the lush marshlands of Blackwood. This new adventure features a complex tale of ambition and revolution that is part of the larger Gates of Oblivion year-long saga that began with the Flames of Ambition DLC in February and continues throughout all of 2021.
In the Blackwood Chapter, you can experience:
Blackwood Zone
In this new Chapter, you can explore the region of Blackwood, nestled among the swamps of the Black Marsh, the warm sands of Elsweyr, and the rolling hills of Cyrodiil. With a local population made up of Imperials, Argonians, and Khajiit, Blackwood is a unique melting pot of different cultures and peoples. Beyond the high walls of the cities of Leyawiin and Gideon, you’ll experience an untamed wilderness filled with ancient sites of long-forgotten empires, dangerous and diverse local creatures, and the rising Daedric threat from realms beyond.
[previewyoutube="tnnVb1Bd_B4;full"] A New Storyline
In the Blackwood Chapter, you must uncover the truth behind the emerging Daedric threat and its connection to the Longhouse Emperors. In this tale of Imperial and Daedric ambitions, what you discover in your adventures in Blackwood will have dire consequences for the people of Tamriel and set up the story for the rest of the year-long Gates of Oblivion saga.
[previewyoutube="Zv4y-LDyMqA;full"] Companions System
With the new Companions system, you’ll never have to explore Tamriel alone again. Recruit, equip, and fight with one of two new Companions available with this Chapter and take them to almost every corner of Tamriel. As you battle beside your new Companions, they’ll level up and gain new unique skills. In addition, you can increase (or lower) your rapport with your Companions by engaging with them and performing certain actions, allowing you to unlock unique quests and other rewards.
New world events unique to the Chapter, portals to the Deadlands have begun to appear within the wilds of Blackwood. From these doorways to Oblivion, you and your allies can invade Mehrunes Dagon’s realm and confront the Daedric hordes that now prepare for war.
Rockgrove Trial
Gather your allies for a new 12-player Trial and defend Rockgrove against the invading Daedric cultists. Contend with the empowered devotees of Mehrunes Dagon and battle your way through the city and into the Deadlands itself. New gear, Achievements, and collectibles await those willing to stand against the forces of the Prince of Destruction!
You can discover and read more about Blackwood on our official site.
Purchase Details & Requirements
The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood is available in four editions, including:
If you are a brand-new player, the ESO Collection: Blackwood includes the base game, Blackwood Chapter, and all previous Chapters. If you already own ESO and its previous Chapters, the ESO: Blackwood Upgrade grants you access to the new Chapter. Note that to run Blackwood on PC/Mac, your machine needs to meet the game's requirements here: PC, Mac.
In addition to the Chapter itself, the Collector’s Editions also include a selection of unique in-game items, including a pet, mount, outfit style, and more.
Collector’s Edition Items
For everything on Blackwood’s editions, Collector’s Edition items, and more, check out this article.
Getting Started in Blackwood
Once you have access to the Blackwood Chapter, you can travel to the new zone and begin your adventure in the following ways:
By Wayshrine
If you’d like to explore Blackwood with an existing character, you can teleport to the new zone directly via the Leyawiin Outskirts Wayshrine. To do so, simply open your map, select the Blackwood zone, and then select the Leyawiin Outskirts Wayshine icon (it should be the only one active in the zone).
Via the Blackwood Main Quest
You can acquire the Blackwood main quest by navigating to your Collections UI, selecting Stories, and then Chapters. From there, you can select Blackwood and pick up the first quest, titled “A Deadly Secret,” to begin. The quest will point you toward where you need to go to make your way to the zone.
Via the Tutorial
You can also travel to Blackwood by creating a new character and completing the new tutorial. At the end of the tutorial experience, you can select Blackwood as your destination zone and get started.
Of course, you can explore Blackwood with an existing or brand-new character, regardless of their level (there’s no level requirements for any PvE zone). Adventure awaits!
Update 30
Releasing in tandem with the Blackwood Chapter, Update 30 is a free base-game patch for all ESO players that includes a host of new features, quality-of-life improvements, and fixes—no additional purchase needed!
Endeavors System
With the new Endeavors system, going live later this month, you can complete daily and weekly tasks to earn a new type of currency, called Seals of Endeavor, used to acquire Crown Crate items. Previously, the only way to own these rare items was by either opening Crown Crates or by spending gems, but with this new system, you can acquire them simply by playing the game. The daily and weekly Endeavors includes all kinds of regular ESO activities such as combat, exploration, questing, crafting, etc., and rewards variable amounts of Seals each day. View current Endeavors in your Activity Finder
This new system arrives with Update 30, but it won’t be active until later in June. Keep an eye out for more information on Endeavors later this month and read more about the new system in this announcement article.
New Tutorial System
Update 30 introduces a brand-new default Tutorial for all ESO players and all versions of the game. Within the mysterious Isle of Balfiera, you must help the mage Norianwe navigate ancient Direnni ruins and investigate the emergence of mysterious portals. Upon completion of the tutorial quest, you can choose where you wish to begin your adventures in Tamriel via a portal room granting access to the starting locations of any of the Chapters you own or any of the starting locations for the three base-game Alliances.
Choose your starting location in the new tutorial experience
Be warned, once you’ve selected your starting location and entered the portal, you can’t go back! For more on the new Tutorial, see this preview article.
Ability Bar Timers
A new addition to your Combat Settings menu, Ability Bar Timers allow you to see a timer over an ability’s icon that indicates the remaining duration of its effect. You can enable this timer for both your front and back bars, helping you stay on top of things during ESO’s fast-paced combat. These options are set to “off” by default, but you can enable them for both Keyboard and Gamepad within your Settings.
These are, of course, just some of the most notable features coming with Update 30, but you can discover a host of other additions and improvements with this patch, including new Monster Masks, bankable Outfit Style pages, and Master Writ quest assistance. Read all about this and more in our official patch notes.
Oblivion Threatens Tamriel
In The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood, the Prince of Destruction has plans for the people of Tamriel, and the minions of Mehrunes Dagon work tirelessly to enact his dread schemes. Explore this wild and dangerous region, investigate the rising Daedric threat, and take on Oblivion itself as you contend with mortal ambitions and otherworldly monsters alike.
To help you face these new challenges, from now until June 10 on PC/Mac and from June 8 until June 22 on consoles, you’ll be able respec your Champion Points at no cost! Are you excited to continue or begin your Gates of Oblivion adventure with the Blackwood Chapter? Let us know via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!
Blackwood Begins with the Stream Team Team Stream
Watch your favorite streamers explore Blackwood during the PC/Mac launch week and you could win some amazing goodies, including the Chapter itself!
Starting Tuesday, June 1, with the Blackwood Chapter launch for PC/Mac, we’re hosting members of the ESO Stream Team on twitch.tv/Bethesda as they continue their Gates of Oblivion adventures. During this period, the Stream Team members will be diving deep into The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood, including the new quests, zones, Companion system, Oblivion Portals, Rockgrove Trial, and more.
Watch the streams and you’ll also have the chance to pick up Twitch Drops (link your accounts!) and win some great prizes, including Crown Packs, copies of the Blackwood Chapter, and more via giveaways. Note that to earn Drops, you’ll need to watch the streamers on their respective home channels.
Giveaways will include the Pink Torchbug!
You can see when your favorite streamers will be hosted on twitch.tv/Bethesda via full schedule below. Note that all times are US Eastern (EDT).
The Blackwood Stream Team Team Stream will begin Tuesday, June 1 at 10AM EDT, and run until Sunday, June 6 at 11:59PM EDT. We’ll see you there!
ESO Live: May 21 @ 3PM EDT/8PM BST—Making Blackwood’s Music
Tune in to ESO Live as we’re joined by Audio Director Brad Derrick to talk about the Blackwood Chapter’s music and sound design.
Join us this Friday, May 21 at 3PM EDT/8PM BST on Twitch.tv/Bethesda as we talk about the music and sounds of the new Blackwood Chapter with Audio Director Brad Derrick. Together, we’ll discuss how Brad and his team go about planning, composing, recording, and producing everything you hear when exploring the new zone and adventure coming with the Blackwood Chapter.
In addition to the usual news, we’ll also highlight some recent fan art from the ESO community and will have Twitch Drops enabled during the show, so don’t forget to link your accounts. This special show will go live on Twitch.tv/Bethesda this coming Friday, May 21 at 3PM EDT/8PM BST—keep an ear open for it!
ESO Live is your official Elder Scrolls Online stream, hosted on twitch.tv/Bethesda by ESO’s Community Manager Gina Bruno and Senior Community Manager Jess Folsom.
Don’t Miss Out! Pre-Purchase Blackwood Now to Snatch Up These Rewards
Pre-purchase The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood by its launch to receive unique in-game rewards.
If you haven’t already had the chance to pre-purchase the upcoming Blackwood Chapter, and you still want to get your hands on some fantastic in-game rewards, you have until the game’s launch on June 1 for PC/Mac and June 8 on Xbox and PlayStation consoles.
Unsure which version of Blackwood is right for you? Check out this article or complete this quiz to discover more about the different Blackwood Editions.
Pre-purchase Rewards
When you pre-purchase Blackwood, you’ll receive immediate access to the Nagahide Welwa Ravager mount, and these additional in-game items at launch:
Nagahide Welwa Ravager mount
Deadlands Wamasu pet & Dremora Kynreeve Outfit style
Even better, if you choose the Collector’s Edition, you’ll receive additional in-game items at launch, including an additional in-game pet, mount, outfit style, and more. There’s no better way to kick off your adventures in the wilds of Blackwood. Don’t forget, the above pre-purchase items are available now and only until the Blackwood Chapter launches, so don’t miss out on your chance to claim these rewards!
The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood arrives on PC/Mac and Stadia on June 1, and on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation4, and PlayStation 5 on June 8. Pre-purchase Blackwood now to receive unique bonus rewards and gain immediate access to the Nagahide Welwa Ravager mount. Don't miss out!
Enjoy Bonus XP, Gold, and More During the Return of the Explorer’s Celebration
You can enjoy double XP, bonus resource node drops, and double gold earned in any zone in Tamriel during the Explorer’s Celebration—now live!
Explore & Quest
Now live and running until Thursday, May 20 at 10AM EDT/3PM BST, the limited-time Explorer’s Celebration brings additional rewards for the following in-game activities:
These bonuses are available to all players in any zone in Tamriel. If you’re leveling up a character for the upcoming Blackwood Chapter, be sure to make the most out of this mini-event!
Note that the Explorer’s Celebration doesn’t grant Event Tickets and doesn’t have its own unique quests, Achievements, or collectibles associated with it. Additionally, the Impresario isn’t available during this limited period.
The Explorer’s Celebration is now live and will run until Thursday, May 20 at 10AM EDT/3PM BST.
ESO Live: April 16 @ 4PM EDT/9PM BST—Companions Dev Discussion
Join us on ESO Live for a special developer discussion of the Blackwood Chapter’s upcoming Companion System.
Tune in this Friday, April 16 at 4PM EDT/9PM BST on Twitch.tv/Bethesda as we dive deep into the upcoming Companion System with special guests from the ESO development team. Together with Lead Systems Designer Phil Draven and Senior Content Designer Janet Priblo, we’ll showcase the two unique Companions available with the Blackwood Chapter and talk about how the team designed and built this exciting new system. If you’re interested in an inside look at how the team brought Companions to Tamriel, don’t miss this show!
As always, we’ll have Twitch Drops enabled throughout the show (link your accounts!) and discuss all the latest ESO news. This show will go live Friday, April 16 at 4PM EDT/9PM BST—we’ll see you there!
ESO Live is your official Elder Scrolls Online stream, hosted on twitch.tv/Bethesda by ESO’s Community Manager Gina Bruno and Senior Community Manager Jess Folsom.
Discover Tamriel & Save During Our Free Play Event
Play ESO for free and save on both the game and Crown Packs during our Free Play Event and sale!
Play for Free
The Elder Scrolls Online Free Play Event begins Wednesday, March 31 at 10AM EDT/3PM BST, and runs until Tuesday, April 13 at 10AM EDT/3PM BST. During the free-play period, anybody on PC/Mac, Xbox consoles (Xbox Live Gold required), PlayStation consoles (PlayStation Plus required), and Stadia (Stadia Pro required) can download and play The Elder Scrolls Online base game for free!
To get started, visit our Free Play page and select your platform. This event gives you access to Morrowind's zone (Vvardenfell) and ESO base game, which includes four of the game’s original classes, 23 unique zones, and countless hours of adventure.
Because the Free Play Event includes access to the base game, you can begin your Gates of Oblivion adventure with access to the Blackwood Prologue questline. If you’d like to continue your story beyond the Free Play Event, The Elder Scrolls Online Collection: Blackwood is now available for pre-purchase and gives you immediate access to the game and previous Chapters (in addition to unique pre-purchase rewards).
In addition to this, you can also take part in the Anniversary Jubilee in-game event, giving you the opportunity to earn double XP, gain bonus rewards, and celebrate ESO’s seventh birthday with us!
If you’ve already played ESO during a previous event, you can continue your adventures as normal. Plus all new ESO accounts created also receive 500 crowns to spend in the in-game Crown Store.
This sale is now live and, depending on your platform, will end on different dates:
Elder Scrolls Online Store
Steam Store
Stadia
Xbox
PlayStation
Note that these end times might differ by platform, so be sure to check your preferred retailer to confirm. To make the most of these deals while they’re available, visit our Buy Now page and don’t miss out!
Crowns On Sale, Too!
In addition to the game, crown packs are also on sale during the Free Play Event. Right now, you can acquire crown packs with the following discounts:
You can use crowns to grab many different types of items from the Crown Store, such as mounts, pets, costumes, consumables, Crown Crates, and more. Depending on your platform, this sale will end on different dates:
Elder Scrolls Online Store
Steam Store
Stadia
Xbox
PlayStation
Like the game sales, the end times for the crown pack sales might differ based on platform, so be sure to check your preferred retailer and head on over to our Buy Crowns page to pick them up!
Play & Save!
If you’re thinking about exploring an ever-growing world, now is the perfect time to try The Elder Scrolls Online out for free, continue your adventures by picking it up on sale, and maybe even pick up some crowns for some unique Crown Store items, too. We’ll see you in Tamriel!
ESO Live: April 1 @ 3PM EDT/8PM BST—Blackwood Zone Deep Dive
Watch ESO Live next Thursday to get an in-depth look at the Blackwood Chapter’s new zone and challenges.
Tune in to ESO Live on twitch.tv/Bethesda this Thursday, April 1 at 3PM EDT/8PM BST (a different day and time than our usual show), as The Elder Scrolls Online’s Lead Writer Bill Slavicsek and Zone Lead Jason Barnes join us to chat about the Blackwood Chapter’s new zone and background.
Together, we’ll show off the Chapter’s new tutorial experience and showcase some of the unique locations you can visit and colorful people you can meet in this new part of Tamriel. We have a lot to share, so if you’re interested in an in-depth look at the world you’ll be exploring in June, don’t miss this stream!
Of course, we’ll also recap the big news from the Blackwood Preview Event and have Twitch Drops enabled throughout, so don’t forget to link your accounts. This ESO Live will kick off this Thursday, April 1, at 3PM EDT/8PM BST on twitch.tv/Bethesda—we’ll see you there!
ESO Live is your official Elder Scrolls Online stream, hosted on twitch.tv/Bethesda by ESO’s Community Manager Gina Bruno and Senior Community Manager Jess Folsom.
Celebrate ESO’s 7th Birthday During the Anniversary Jubilee Event
Eat cake and enjoy bonus XP and rewards during the Anniversary Jubilee in-game event and join us in celebrating ESO’s 7th birthday!
ESO Turns 7!
The Anniversary Jubilee event begins Thursday, April 1 at 10AM EDT, and will run until Tuesday, April 13 at 10AM EDT. During this celebration, you can enjoy a double XP boost and earn new and returning event-specific rewards.
To get started, acquire the free Jubilee Cake Voucher quest starter titled “Ache for Cake” from the Crown Store (listed under Quest Starters) and make your way to the world-famous Chef Donolon. Complete Chef Donolon’s quest to receive the new Jubilee Cake 2021 memento, which you can then summon from the Tools section of your Collections menu.
The Anniversary Jubilee Cake 2021!
Each time you eat a slice during the Jubilee, you’ll enjoy a two-hour, 100% XP boost. If you’re thinking about leveling some new characters for the upcoming Blackwood Chapter or want to speed up the rate at which you gain Champion Points, now is your chance!
Complete Dailies, Earn Gifts
Complete any of the game’s daily quests during the event period and you’ll receive special Anniversary Jubilee Gift Boxes as additional rewards. Here’s a list of some of the daily activities you can complete to earn these gift boxes:
Within the Jubilee Gift Boxes, you have a chance to receive a collection of celebratory items, including:
The Imperial Champion Weapon Style
Eat cake, complete dailies, and earn special gifts—easy!
Event Tickets & The Impresario
During the event, the first time you eat a slice of the Anniversary Jubilee Cake, you’ll receive three event tickets. That means it’s possible to earn 39 tickets in total by the event’s end.
You can find the Impresario in Daggerfall in Glenumbra, Davon's Watch in Stonefalls, Vulkhel Guard in Auridon, and the major cities within each Chapter. Throughout the Jubilee event, she will have the following items in stock:
Note that none of the above items are tradeable if acquired with Event Tickets from the Impresario.
This will be your first opportunity to pick up the fragments required to upgrade your Unstable Morpholith into the new Deadlands Firewalker personality.
The new Deadlands Firewalker personality
The third and final fragment for this Morpholith upgrade will be available in a future event, so keep an eye out!
Eat Cake With Us!
Join us in celebrating another milestone for The Elder Scrolls Online and enjoy event-specific rewards and an equally tasty boost to your XP. How will you be celebrating ESO’s 7th birthday? Which daily activities will you complete? Let us know via Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.
ESO Live: March 26 @ 1PM EDT/6PM GMT—Flames of Ambition Dungeon Run
Tune in to ESO Live this Friday as we delve into one of the Flames of Ambition’s two new dungeons with special guests!
Watch ESO Live on twitch.tv/Bethesda this Friday, March 26 at 1PM EDT/6PM GMT, as we host Aussie Stream Team member mApplinator (Editor’s note: G’day!) and Alienware Community Manager Amy Schlueter for some Gates of Oblivion fun. Together, we’ll tackle Black Drake Villa (one of the two Flames of Ambition dungeons) and kick off the new year-long adventure with a bang!
In addition to the dungeon run, Alienware has provided a selection of amazing goodies for a special stream giveaway*, including:
So, if you’re looking to upgrade your gaming peripherals or get your hands on some awesome Alienware swag, this is the show for you!
As always, we’ll also chat about the latest ESO news and have Twitch Drops enabled throughout, so please link your accounts before the show begins. This ESO Live will kick off this Friday at 1PM EDT/6PM GMT on twitch.tv/Bethesda—we’ll see you there!
ESO Live is your official Elder Scrolls Online stream, hosted on twitch.tv/Bethesda by ESO’s Community Manager Gina Bruno and Senior Community Manager Jess Folsom.
