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At over 10 years and counting, Elder Scrolls Online has been a staple of the gaming community for some time and it’s showing no signs of stopping with the Battle of the Writhing Wall community event set to take place this week.
To celebrate the event, we spoke to Studio Game Director at ZeniMax Online, Rich Lambert about the legacy of the franchise and how it will continue to keep evolving.
It’s amazing to think that ESO has been around for over ten years. Has the game direction gone as you envisioned when it first launched, or how has that process changed?
Rich Lambert: It’s been a wild ride. The PC launch wasn’t spectacular, it didn’t hit the way we wanted it to. Over the last ten years, we’ve been able to change that vision and how we build the game to turn it into what it is today. So yes, it’s very different now from what we originally envisioned, but that’s a good thing. That’s game development.
This year we saw a move to a seasonal model over the previous chapter model. How has the reception been from seasoned players and new players?
RL: Overall, it’s been mostly positive because we’re reacting to player feedback. Players felt the last few years were a bit formulaic, like we were following a playbook. The content was good but felt samey, so we wanted to change things up. This year has been a transition, not quite a full seasonal model yet, but we’ve seen great reactions.
The first half of Solstice was well received. The Writhing Wall event kicks off next week, it’s something we’ve wanted to do for years, then comes the second half of Solstice, and next year will be very different. Overall, it’s positive, though there’s some confusion in the community.
We’re about to witness the one-time event, Writhing Wall. What’s that been like in the lead-up, both on your side and for the community?
RL: The community’s excited. They were a little concerned at first when we pitched it, the idea of everyone working together as a server. But this is something we’ve wanted to do for a long time. I’ve worked on ESO for 18 years, and now feels like the right time. We wanted to surprise players and try something different. It’s been a lot of work, but also a lot of fun. I can’t wait for it to kick off next week.
Do you think there’ll be more of that type of content that aims to bring the community together?
RL: That’s what we’re trying now. The seasonal model lets us be more agile. We don’t have to spend 18 months building an entire zone and we can do smaller updates and adjust based on feedback. If something works, we can expand on it; if not, we can pivot. That’s the direction we’re heading, and what Nick, our new game director, is really interested in, when it comes to building around that feedback cycle.
After so long, how hard is it to create a strategy that appeals to original players while still welcoming new ones?
It’s hard. When you talk to ten different players about what they like about ESO, you’ll get ten different answers. With such a large player base, it’s impossible to make everyone happy all the time. That’s why we’re focusing on smaller, more concentrated content, so we can test ideas, get feedback, and improve quickly.
We’re also looking closely at areas where we’re weakest, like the new and returning player experiences. If you’ve been gone for a few months, it can be confusing to come back. We’re working on making that smoother so returning players can jump back in easily. For new players, it can take about a month before they really understand how the game works, which is a big ask compared to games you can pick up and understand in 20 minutes.
What advice would you give someone picking up a controller and jumping into ESO for the first time?
RL: Take your time. Explore. Don’t rush through everything. The entire game is endgame. You don’t need to race to the finish. Experiment and enjoy the world. You can always change your character later if you don’t like something, so don’t worry about making mistakes.
It’s been a while since we’ve had a mainline Elder Scrolls game. How much collaboration happens between your team and theirs?
RL: We work closely with Todd, Emil, Matt, and the rest of the main team. They’re the lore and IP holders. When we create new stories or monsters, we pitch ideas to them and get their feedback. Usually, they trust us, but sometimes they’ll suggest adjustments. It’s a back-and-forth process, and we also stay in sync with what they’re working on.
We’ve been carrying the torch for over 11 years, and they really appreciate that. It’s a great relationship.
The Elder Scrolls Online Battle for the Writhing Wall event takes place later this week as part of the new Battle of the Worm Cult seasonal event.
