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We explore Skyrim's gothic side in The Elder Scrolls Online's new dungeon

Stonethorn is the third episode in The Elder Scrolls Online's Dark Heart of Skyrim year-long adventure, and it shines a light on a whole other side of Tamriel's frostiest region. Where the adventure's first chunk, Harrowstorm, was all about Nordic burial grounds, the Icereach dungeon, and supernatural storms - basically, what you'd recognise as quintessentially Skyrim - Stonethorn is gothic.


The new pack centres on two dungeons that bask in the gloom and grotesque of the gothic genre. Stone Garden plays host to a "mad alchemist, hidden deep within a secret, mysterious laboratory" in Blackreach, whose "horrifying creations" you need to put down. Castle Thorn is an ancient fortress lodged in the hills of western Skyrim, ruled by a megalomaniac vampire lord, and packed with more beasts and pointy buttresses than Bram Stoker's dreams after a cheese board. But what lies within these dungeons goes beyond 'stock' gothic fare, and brings new and invigorating challenges to the MMO.


I saddle up for a demo run of Castle Thorn alongside creative director Rich Lambert, lead content designer Jeremy Sera, lead encounter designer Mike Finnegan, and senior content designer Shane Slama.


Read the rest of the story...


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Save Up to 50% and Play Free during QuakeCon At Home

Play ESO free and pick up the game and Crown Packs at up to 50% off during QuakeCon 2020!

QuakeCon 2020 is here, and that means you can save big on both the game and Crown Packs while trying out the game free during our limited-time sale and Free Play event.

[h2]Free Play Week[/h2]
If you’d like to take your first steps into the world of Tamriel, you can play ESO free from now through August 19 at 10AM EDT for Xbox One and PC/Mac and August 20 at 10AM EDT for PlayStation®4.

To get started, visit our Free Play page and select your platform. This event gives you access to the ESO base game, which includes four of the game’s original classes, 24 unique zones (including Morrowind), a huge main storyline, and, if you’re a new player, 500 crowns to spend in the in-game Crown Store.

Even better, this event gives you the opportunity to begin your Dark Heart of Skyrim year-long story with the free Greymoor Prologue (part of the ESO base game).


Discover Skyrim’s dark heart with the Greymoor Prologue

If you’ve played ESO during a previous event, you can continue your adventures as normal. Happy adventuring!

[h2]Save on Greymoor [/h2]
During QuakeCon, you can also save up to 35% on ESO’s latest Chapter, The Elder Scrolls Online Greymoor (including the Greymoor Standard Edition, Upgrade, and Collector’s Editions).

If you’re an existing player ready to explore the city of Solitude and surrounding holds, the Greymoor Upgrade gives you access to the new zone (Western Skyrim), the Antiquities system, and the Dark Heart of Skyrim questline. However, if you’re new to ESO, the Greymoor Standard Edition includes the Chapter detailed above and the full base game, Morrowind Chapter, Summerset Chapter, and Elsweyr Chapter. That’s hundreds of hours of quests, exploration, and stories—all 35% off!

Finally, as a new player, you can also pick up The Elder Scrolls Online Standard Edition at up to 50% off during the sale period, giving you access to the full base game and Morrowind Chapter—a great first step into the ever-expanding world of Tamriel.


Explore Western Skyrim in the Greymoor Chapter

This sale is now live, but depending on your platform and territory, it ends at different times:
  • Greymoor PC/Mac
    • North America—August 11 @ 1PM EDT
    • Europe—August 11 @ 1PM EDT
  • Standard Edition PC/Mac
    • North America—August 25 @ 1PM EDT
    • Europe—August 25 @ 1PM EDT
  • Greymoor Stadia
    • North America—August 19 @ 3AM EDT
    • Europe— August 19 @ 3AM EDT
  • Standard Edition Stadia
    • North America— August 19 @ 3AM EDT
    • Europe— August 19 @ 3AM EDT
  • Greymoor Xbox One
    • North America—August 11 @ 6AM EDT
    • Europe—August 11 @ 6AM EDT
  • Standard Edition Xbox One
    • North America—August 24 @ 6AM EDT
    • Europe—August 24 @ 6AM EDT
  • Greymoor PlayStation®4
    • North America—August 19 @ 3AM EDT
    • Europe—August 18 @ 7PM EDT
  • Standard Edition PlayStation®4
    • North America—August 19 @ 3AM EDT
    • Europe—August 18 @ 7PM EDT

Visit our Buy Now page right now to make the most out of this sale.
[h2]Crown Pack Sale[/h2]
Also starting now, you can enjoy big-time discounts on Crown Packs for all platforms during the event period, including:
  • 21,000—40% off
  • 14,000—35% off
  • 5,500—30% off
  • 3,000—25% off
  • 1,500—20% off

To grab this deal, visit our Buy Crowns page. Don’t forget, with Crowns, you can pick up a ton of useful and fun items from the in-game Crown Store, including collectibles such as pets, mounts, costumes, and more. Check out everything currently on offer on our Crown Store page.

This Crown Pack sale is now live, and it will continue through August 10 for PC/Mac, Steam, and Xbox One, through August 11 for Stadia, and through August 17 for PlayStation®4—don’t miss out!
[h2]Play & Save[/h2]
Whether you’re a brand-new player looking to try out ESO for the first time, or a veteran who wants to pick up a deal on Crown Packs or the latest Chapter, there’s something for you during the QuakeCon 2020 Free Play and sale period. A ton of amazing livestreams and giveaways are going on during QuakeCon this year, so be sure to check them out as well!

Check Out ESO during QuakeCon At Home!

We’ve got livestreams, giveaways, Twitch Drops (including a free pet), and an exciting new Stonethorn trailer lined up for QuakeCon At Home. Here’s everything you need to know about ESO’s presence at this year’s special three-day virtual event.

[h2]Welcome from Matt Firor[/h2]
Studio Director Matt Firor takes part in the QuakeCon Digital Welcome and talks about the year so far, discusses the Dark Heart of Skyrim, and even shares a new Stonethorn gameplay trailer! The Digital Welcome (and QuakeCon itself) begins Friday, August 7 at 12:00PM EDT, on twitch.tv/Bethesda—don’t miss it!

[h2]Giveaways & Twitch Drops[/h2]
During the event, we’re giving away a host of goodies, including Reliquaries, a Razer peripheral prize package, Steel Series mouse pads, and several digital goods during the streams and on social media (Instagram, Twitter), so keep an eye out for your chance to win.

Even better, watch any of the official ESO streams each day (listed below) and you will receive a QuakeCon Twitch Drop, which includes the Flame Atronach Pony pet and an Ouroboros Crown Crate. Make sure you link your ESO and Twitch accounts ahead of time to qualify.


While pretty, we recommend NOT petting the Flame Atronach Pony

Don’t forget, you can now get Twitch Drops for all platforms, including Xbox One and PlayStation 4, so don’t miss out!

[h2]ESO Livestreams[/h2]
Throughout QuakeCon, the Community team is hosting a series of fun livestreams with members of the ESO development team and special guests. Check out everything we’ve got planned below:


ESO Voice-Over Chat—Featuring Jennifer Hale & Robbie Daymond

Friday, August 7 at 1PM EDT at twitch.tv/Bethesda

Voice actors Jennifer Hale (Lyris Titanborn) and Robbie Daymond (Fennorian), plus ZOS’s Senior VO Supervisor Becky Ichnoski, join the ESO Community team to talk about how they give their voice to some of the game’s most-beloved characters.


ESO Developer Interview—Featuring Encounters Lead Mike Finnigan

Saturday, August 8 at 12PM EDT at twitch.tv/Bethesda_DE

German Community Manager Kai Schober talks to Encounters Lead Mike Finnigan about the game, the Dark Heart of Skyrim, and the upcoming Stonethorn release!


ESO Gearless & Fearless Dungeon Run—Featuring Nicole Savoy

Saturday, August 8 at 8PM EDT at twitch.tv/Bethesda

Pro wrestler and ESO fan Nicole Savoy squads up with The Elder Scrolls Online team to try to tackle one of ESO’s perilous dungeons while wearing no gear—what they pick up along the way is what they can wear!


Pete and Rob Whittaker Take on ESO

Saturday, August 8 at 11PM EDT at twitch.tv/Bethesda

Uncle Pete from Bethesda Softworks and MMA champion Rob Whittaker (Aussie Aussie Aussie!) team up to explore Western Skyrim from The Elder Scrolls Online: Greymoor.



ESO Live Art Creation & Chat

Sunday, August 9 at 7PM EDT at twitch.tv/Bethesda

ZOS Concept Artist Mike May and Art Director CJ Grebb drop in to talk about ESO’s art process AND produce a brand-new piece of ESO-inspired art live on stream. One lucky viewer will win the completed piece, so don’t miss out!


In addition to the above, there are a ton of amazing streams to check out from the community team, ESO streamers, and community members:
  • August 7 at 1PM EDT at twitch.tv/Bethesda_DEESO Homestead Tour featuring community members FuFuns and Lasuu (in German)
  • August 8 at 8AM EDT at twitch.tv/Bethesda_FR—French Community Manager Sanda Mauri hosts community members Artesio, Deastre, and MrElderScrolls for an ESO quiz (in French)
  • August 8 at 4AM EDT at twitch.tv/BethesdaESO Charity Stream for UNICEF featuring streamers Thorlar, Michi, and QueenE
  • August 8 at 9AM EDT at twitch.tv/Bethesda—Conquering Icereach featuring UK Community Manager Ophelia Noir and Stream Team members Dawnwhisper, kayPOWXD, and Xynode
  • August 8 at 5PM EDT at twitch.tv/Bethesda—The Best Elder Scrolls Online Roleplay on Twitch featuring actors Tony Noto and Dayeanne Hutton
  • August 9 at 12:35AM EDT at twitch.tv/BethesdaESO with Tamriel Downunder featuring ANZ Community Managers Jonny Roses and Kim Bender, plus Stream Team members Dacu, IcyIC, AngryWolf, and mApplinator
  • August 9 at 7AM EDT at twitch.tv/Bethesda_DEESO Guild vs. Guild Dungeon Runs featuring community members Arkays Segen and Noractis (in German)
  • August 9 at 4AM EDT at twitch.tv/Bethesda—My World: Aeyvi’s ESO featuring Ophelia Noir and Stream Team member Aeyvi
  • August 9 at 11AM EDT at twitch.tv/BethesdaESO PvP Masterclass featuring Benelux Community Manager Julian Eriks and Stream Team member Rubensky

Phew! That’s a ton of great ESO action and fun throughout the entire event from all over the world. Remember, you can earn a QuakeCon pet and a Crown Crate just for watching!
[h2]Together At Home[/h2]
QuakeCon brings people together like no other event in the world, so we’re thrilled to bring you three days of ESO fun, give out unique rewards, and support more than a few great causes with our charity drives. Let us know if you’re looking forward to all the reveals, streams, and the chance to earn that fiery new pet on social via @TESOnlineInstagram, and Facebook. Don’t forget—it all kicks off Friday, August 7 at 12PM on twitch.tv/Bethesda!

ESO Live: July 24 @ 4PM EDT/9PM BST—Character Pathing & Contest Winners


Tune in to ESO Live this Friday to get an inside look at the new Homestead Character Pathing system coming with Update 27 and check out the winners of our official Greymoor Home Decorating Contest!

This Friday, July 24 at 4PM EDT/9PM BST, check out Twitch.tv/Bethesda for a live preview of the upcoming Homestead Character Pathing system and the announcement of our official Greymoor Home Decorating Contest winners. To help community managers Gina Bruno and Jessica Folsom dive into this Homestead-themed show, we’ve enlisted the help of Systems Designer (and Homestead czar) Cullen Lee.

Firstly, the team will introduce the new system coming with Update 27 and show you how easy it is to make your NPCs move around your home. Then, together, the team will announce the winners of both categories of the Home Decorating Contest (Nord and Vampire) and discuss each entry. If you love ESO’s housing, this is the show for you!

Throughout the show we’ll also have Twitch Drops enabled (link your account), discuss the latest ESO news, and have a giveaway, so join us this Friday, July 24 at 4PM EDT/9PM BST, on Twitch—see you there!

Get a Free Crown Store Bundle from Us!


As a thank you to the ESO community for your amazing support, we’ve added a FREE bundle to the in-game Crown Store. 

Whether you’ve been sharing your stories of adventure, assisting your fellow players, or helping us continually improve the game, you’ve created one of the best communities in gaming. To show our appreciation for everything you all do, we’ve added a special gift to the in-game Crown Store.

From now until July 30, you can find the brand-new Player Appreciation Bundle featured in the Crown Store. This exclusive bundle is completely free (it’s listed as having a zero crown cost) and includes the following items:
  • Vampiric Dragon-Imp pet
  • The Mace of Molag Bal outfit style
  • Three Outfit Change Tokens
  • 10 Crown Repair Kits
  • 20 Crown Soul Gems
  • Three Gold Coast Experience Scrolls (50% boost for one hour)


Get your free bundle right now!

Once you’ve received the bundle, you can find the Repair Kits, Soul Gems, and Experience Scrolls in your Inventory and the pet and weapon style in your Collections UI. Finally, you can use the Outfit Change tokens at an Outfit Station (where you can also apply the weapon style).

Don’t forget, this bundle is 100% free, and you can claim it from the Crown Store right now—it’s that easy. Once again, we truly appreciate everything the ESO community does both in game and out, so thank you for being such an active, passionate, and engaging part of The Elder Scrolls Online. We’ll see you in Tamriel!