Despite many changes over the years, Xbox Game Pass remains one of the most popular gaming subscriptions out there. Its lineup boasts an impressive array of games from AAA to indies and in-between. But some of the biggest and most popular MMORPGs have yet to arrive on the subscription service. Despite years of rumors, Blizzard’s World of Warcraft is still not on Game Pass, despite Microsoft owning the studio and the service. Now, another popular fantasy MMORPG is headed to Game Pass, and fans hope it will be the start of a trend.
Earlier this month, the team behind Elder Scrolls Online shared an influx of major updates for the game. After 12 years, ZeniMax is shaking things up in its MMORPG version of Tamriel in a big way. Along with changing to a free, seasonal content model, ESO is adding new, experimental content types and solo dungeons. But the team also announced another big change. Elder Scrolls Online is coming to PC Game Pass in June. After years of being available for console and cloud only, this marks a shift in bringing the game to even more players.
Elder Scrolls Online is clearly making a push to bring the game to more people. The game’s Gold Road Edition is currently one of the PS Plus Essential free games until April 6th, meaning PlayStation gamers can add the title to their library for free. Since new seasonal content updates will be free, grabbing the base game for $0 will let Elder Scrolls fans step into Tamriel and stay current as new updates arrive. And soon, ESO will expand its availability on Xbox Game Pass, as well.
The MMORPG has been available on Xbox Game Pass Essential and Premium for a while now. However, it has been a console and cloud title only. That means those who have PC Game Pass and prefer to play games on their computers have been unable to enjoy Elder Scrolls Online to its full extent. But that’s about to change. On June 2nd, Elder Scrolls Online will join PC Game Pass, while also adding Xbox Play Anywhere support. That means subscribers can enjoy ESO on both PC and Xbox consoles at no additional cost. And that typically includes cross-progression, which is kind of a big deal.
One long-requested feature for ESO is crossplay and cross-progression. Currently, console and PC versions of the game are essentially entirely separate. ZeniMax has confirmed it’s hard at work trying to make crossplay and cross-progression a reality for all players. But for now, bringing the game to Xbox Play Anywhere should at least let gamers who play via Game Pass enjoy cross-progression between their PC and console adventures. While not the same as true, full crossplay, it is at least a step in the right direction for the long-running MMORPG.
ESO expanding its Game Pass availability is exciting in its own right. But many are hoping this could be the start of a trend where more big MMORPGs come to Game Pass. In particular, fans are hoping Blizzard will take note and finally make World of Warcraft on Game Pass a reality. For now, that still remains a dream, but if ESO coming to PC Game Pass makes a huge difference in player numbers, other MMORPG developers could well take note. And given that Microsoft owns both ESO developer ZeniMax and World of Warcraft‘s Blizzard, the connection isn’t as far-fetched as you might think.
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