Elder Scrolls Online – One Tamriel
MMORPG Expansions that Exploded the Games’ Active Player Base
The Elder Scrolls Online came from a massive legacy, arguably the biggest of any MMORPG on this list. It was the latest entry in a long-running series of fantastic RPG games, and players expected the world (of Elder Scrolls). Sadly, at release, the game played like a discount Skyrim; an inability to steal sweetrolls and assassinate bystanders didn’t help matters. Even after Bethesda dropped the subscription fee, which is usually a sign of trouble for MMOs, The Elder Scrolls Online refused to gain traction. But then someone had the bright idea to make the game play more like a traditional Elder Scrolls game.
Come October 2016, the One Tamriel update landed and completely changed the game. Gone were restrictions that locked characters who didn’t meet specific level and/or race requirements out of certain areas. Players could go anywhere they wanted at any time, just like the other Elder Scrolls games. According to The Elder Scrolls Online Steam chart, the game’s population grew significantly. Barren servers that never saw more than 10 thousand players suddenly were swarming with nearly 30 thousand, and that was just the PC version. And then Bethesda struck while the iron was hot with the November 2016 free weekend, convincing players once and for all the game was a true multiplayer Elder Scrolls experience. If it weren’t for the One Tamriel update and timely free weekend, The Elder Scrolls Online would have probably fallen prey to the same hungry maw that gobbled up so many other MMOs before it.
