A new expansion is on the horizon for Elder Scrolls Online players, taking them back to the world of Oblivion with the return of the Daedric prince Mehrunes Dagon. The upcoming expansion is set 800 years before the events of the single-player Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion experience, setting up an incredible backstory to add to the phenomenal lore surrounding Tamriel. But it's not just a new location and a returning baddie to look forward to. For the first time ever, Elder Scrolls Online will allow for companions that players can spec out to their heart's content. But first, let's look at what else was revealed by Bethesda. 

With the latest trailer, players have their first look at the Gates of Oblivion adventure, exploring a new tale through the Flames of Ambition DLC and the Blackwood chapter. This saga will continue all year long with new chapters to further unravel the mystery surrounding the Daedric prince with never-before-explored areas of Tamriel and fresh takes on some familiar places as well. 

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Flames of Ambition launches on March 8 for PC, and March 16 for Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Blackwood commences a new chapter entirely, beginning on June 1 for PC and June 8 for Xbox One and PS4. There are two more DLC slated with one dungeon pack dropping in Q3 and another Q4 DLC story zone unlocking at an undisclosed time. 

As for Blackwood, here is what players can look forward to: 

• A new zone: Blackwood
• A fiendish main storyline that ties into the Gates of Oblivion adventure
• The new Companions System
• A new 12-player Trial: Rockgrove
• New world events: Oblivion Portals
• New delves, public dungeons, world bosses, and stand-alone quests
• Updates and quality-of-life improvements

Pre-purchasing the upcoming expansion will unlock the Nagahide Welwa Ravager mount and the Nightmare Bear cub pet, with the latter only being available until March 17 as the pre-order deadline. Even more pre-order bonuses are also on the way, including: 

• Dremora Kynreeve Outfit
• Deadlands Wamasu Pet
• 1× Iron Atronach Crate
• 3× Blackwood Treasure Maps
• 2× Experience Scrolls

For those that already own previous chapters of the game and the base title itself, there is the Blackwood Upgrade edition of the expansion and the Upgrade Collector's Edition. For those that don't own the game already, there are the standard Blackwood and Blackwood Collector's Edition options that include previous expansions and the base game itself. 

"Including the Imperial City of Leyawiin (first featured in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion), the Niben Forest, and open wetlands of the Blackwood Bog, you’ll have the opportunity to explore a diverse land in strife, investigate the emerging Daedric threat, and discover all-new stories, challenges, and rewards not found anywhere else in Tamriel," Bethesda Softworks tells us about the upcoming story. 

In Blackwood’s main storyline, you shall investigate a conspiracy involving the exiled Longhouse Emperors and uncover a deadly pact that spells doom for the people of Blackwood. Behind it all, of course, is the Prince of Destruction, Mehrunes Dagon himself, but what exactly are his plans are for Blackwood and Tamriel? While a stand-alone tale that can be enjoyed in of itself, the events of the Blackwood Chapter’s story progresses the larger Gates of Oblivion narrative that begins with the Flames of Ambition DLC and will continue throughout the rest of the year.

Most importantly? Companions. The single-player counterparts of the Elder Scrolls games include companions that have their own skills; they are characters who add an additional RPG element to build players' connection to the story. For the first time, ESO is adding companions to the online game, allowing for a chance to spec them out. This also offers fans a chance at building meaningful relationships with them and enjoying the world of Tamriel with help without feeling forced to play with other players. 

Thoughts on everything revealed so far in the latest Elder Scrolls Online showcase highlighting what's new with  Oblivion? Are you excited to learn more about the backstory that set up the beloved Elder Scrolls IV title? Sound off in the comment section below! And for those interested in some physical merch to ring in the new expansion, there's an exclusive Oblivion statue found right here. 

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Rare announced seasonal progression was coming to Sea of Thieves during a big December update, and now we’re on the cusp of it kicking off. Season One sets sail on January 28, and for the next three months, players can engage in new activities to earn exclusive rewards, both free and paid. Rare also released a helpful primer video detailing exactly how seasons to give players a (peg) leg up before the festivities begin. 

Seasons introduce Renown, a new progression currency that is earned by simply engaging in existing activities, such as sailing and combat. Over 100 levels of Renown await eager explorers, each containing its own rewards including gold and cosmetics. Trials offer a faster, more focused method of earning Renown by presenting specific goals (like setting a skeleton on fire) for players to pursue. Seasons last three months and feature daily events, new feats, as well as regular quality-of-life improvements. All of this is free to players. For high-rolling pirates, the paid Plunder Pass grants 11 exclusive Pirate Emporium items, which remain exclusive until that season ends. Then, those items will be available for purchase separately. 

Sea of Thieves has come a long way since its shaky launch in 2018, and adopting the popular season model feels like the next logical step. When done right, seasons have proven to be a compelling hook that keep players engaged with a game, so here's hoping Rare can knock this out of the park. For more on Sea of Thieves (and context for how far it's really come) check out our review of the game from its launch. 

Bethesda Softworks just revealed an in-depth first look at Oblivion, the next expansion to hit The Elder Scrolls Online. A year-long event will take players to places they have never been before, but denizens of Tamriel have more to look forward to than new locations and the return of Mehrunes Dagon; the introduction of companions is another major feature of this expansion, and it's a bigger deal than you might realize. Why? It all comes down to one ever-popular aspect of RPGs: romance. 

In the single-player Elder Scrolls games, players have a select amount of characters they can build relationships with. Some of those relationships can even lead to in-game marriage. In the MMORPG of Elder Scrolls Online, however, the lack of companion characters provided no meaningful way to get attached to the many faces met throughout the game's adventures. Now that companions are making their way into the online world to help make ESO even more single-player friendly, I couldn't help but ask if that addition meant romance was on its way in the future. The short answer? Yes. 

I recently sat down with Creative Director Rich Lambert to learn more about Oblivion and the tales it has to tell. When I asked if the relationship with companions could go deeper than just a battle buddy, Lambert said yes – but not in the typical romantic fashion, and not right out of the gate. He said the introduction of this mechanic in Oblivion is setting up for a goal the team has in mind for further down the road. 

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"With these companions, they have their own likes and dislikes," Lambert says. "You can go up one side and down the other side with your relationship to them. There is going to be something special that unlocks when you max out that relationship spectrum as well, though initially, romance won't be a part of it."

He adds, "Down the line, though, romance is definitely somewhere we want to get to. We just want to make sure when we add it that we do it right." 

For now, there are two companions who players will get to know: Bastion and Mary. "Bastion is kind of this chivalrous Knight kind of personality," Lambert says. "And he was the son of a noble there was a little bit of strife with his history that you'll learn more about while adventuring with him. He ended up becoming a servant to another noble family and is essentially being the protector of this rich sniveling idiot. The questline that you go through with him to unlock him as a companion covers one of those adventures. And then once you unlock him, you find out a little bit more about who he is and what his personal tragedy is." 

Mary, on the other hand, is a Dunmer thief who Lambert describes as having a "stab you in the back" kind of personality. Lambert mentions that she has an interesting twist in her storyline, but wasn't willing to tell me more no matter how much I was intrigued to hear everything. 

Essentially, the introduction of companions is meant to lay the groundwork for more personal relationships going forward in future expansions. That being said, the team wants to make sure they don't rush adding something like this, ensuring that the highly requested feature is done in a way that will leave players feeling fulfilled with their story experience. 

Another interesting thing about these companions is that they are more than just pretty faces. Players can spec them out to suit their playstyle, and solo players can take them into instances that usually require additional players, such as dungeons. 

"So companions are there if you choose to use them – your permanent adventuring buddies – so you unlock them by doing quests in the Blackwood chapter," Lambert says. "Once you have them, you can level them up, you can equip gear on them, you can assign them to a specific role; so if you need a tank, you can have them go tanky, or healer or damage dealer. You can set their skills that they use and the order they use them in. Each companion also has its own series of likes and dislikes. There's a report system associated with this. This system will change as a player progressed through the story to unlock new quests to get to know each companion."

Lambert adds, "We're still going through how this all works within the world and figuring out exactly where you can use different companions as well. We know we don't want them used in PvP, so we've taken that option out, but outside of that, we want you to be able to use them everywhere else."

Is romance in games like this necessary? Absolutely not. But it does make for a more enriching experience for those that crave an even more detailed and immersive experience to get lost in. The lovey-dovey mechanic was optional in the Elder Scrolls single-player games, and making it that way in the online experience just further connects ESO to the larger Elder Scrolls franchise. 

What do you think about what we've learned thus far about Oblivion making its way into The Elder Scrolls Online? Sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below! 

With the recent Star Wars news confirming that EA no longer holds exclusivity over the IP, the gaming world has been abuzz with what that means for a galaxy far, far away. While Ubisoft is hard at work on its own open-world Star Wars adventure, a recent report alleges that a new Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic game is in the works and without EA and BioWare. 

BioWare offered up its RPG magic when it gave us Knights of the Old Republic, a magic that fans have been clamoring for more of over the years. Now it looks like that dream might become a reality, though this time without the studio that brought it to life. 

The latest report comes by way of VGC from reputable Star Wars insider Bespin Bulletin. During a recent B.O.B The Podcast episode, the discussion of a mysterious project came up, a project that Bespin alleges is a brand-new Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. They added that fans will "never guess" who is helming the rumored task. 

"Amongst my digging, I heard there is a Knights of the Old Republic project in development somewhere," they said during the podcast. "I talked to a couple of people, and I also found out that Jason Schreier said that it's not with EA, and we'll 'never guess' who the studio is that's making this game." 

This isn't the first time this report has come up, including myself that spoke with a previous writer attached to the original game back at the start of 2020. At the time, however, my source did not state that EA was distanced from this project, a project that has been rumored several times over to be a complete remake. 

According to previous rumors, the reported remake will blend elements from Knights of the Old Republic and Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. The reworking will blend the two stories in a way that makes sense with the current Star Wars canon. 

Regarding who will be taking up this project if EA and BioWare end up not being involved, we don't know which studio has that honor. With rumors of a possible Knights of the Old Republic-adapted movie and Lucasfilm confirming previously that it is working on "something" revolving around Knights of the Old Republic, the world of possibilities remains wide open. 

With BioWare hard at work on Dragon Age 4, the future of Mass Effect, Anthem 2.0, and a few other private projects that have yet to be announced, it would make sense then that the studio might not have the capacity to take a project like this on. Whether that's the reasoning behind the reported detachment remains to be seen. 

What do you think about the possibility of a new Knights of the Old Republic or a potential remake? Thoughts on rumors that BioWare is not involved? Sound off with your hot takes that would make any sith proud in the comment section below! 

[Source: B.O.B The Podcast via VGC]