The Elder Scrolls Online Removes Subscription Fees

Back before the Elder Scrolls Online was officially released, around August in 2013, I remember reading an interview with Zenimax Studios president Matt Firor where he officially announced the game would run on a subscription model. Said he;

“The Elder Scrolls games are all about allowing the player to go where they want, be who they want, and do what they want. We feel that putting pay gates between the player and content at any point in game ruins that feeling of freedom, and just having one small monthly fee for 100% access to the game fits the IP and the game much better than a system where you have to pay for features and access as you play.”

And I remember thinking at the time, with a grimly cynical smirk, “Gee, I wonder how long that will last”.

Well, now we know. A little less than a year. Awkward.

Yes, it’s been made official; The Elder Scrolls Online will officially be dropping it’s subscription fees in favor of the pay-to-play model currently being used by the likes of Guild Wars 2 and The Secret World—instead of 15 dollars every month, you pay 60 for the game up-front and from then on you can play to your liking. Of course, that’s not to say there won’t be additional payment options; you can opt into a ESO plus subscription (which is 15 a month, like before) that will give you in-game exclusive items, access to all DLC content, and a monthly allowance of in-game premium currency.

It’s worth note that the game will still require an Xbox Live or a PS+ subscription to be played online on either respective console. It’s also worth note that any current subscription time players have will not be refunded when the game makes the switch—it will merely be converted to an ESO subscription.

Zenimax Studio president Matt Firor has this to say:

"Our fans are our biggest inspiration, and we've listened to their feedback on the entertainment experience they want. We know that Elder Scrolls fans want choice when it comes to how they play and how they pay, and that is what they will get. We have made numerous changes to the game over the past year, and are confident this is a game that Elder Scrolls fans will love to play."

Still, from what’s been announced so far, they’re doing pay-to-play right, with a vast majority of the premium in-game items being cosmetic in nature—new gameplay and updates will be available to all players as it comes available.

While that bitter raisin-like husk in my chest I call a heart feels extremely validated that I “called it”, it’s still a little sad. I like the pay-to-play model for MMO’s, but we’re back at the point where World of Warcraft is the only game that can get away with the subscription model. Which kind of bums me out; I would like to see that game finally get some real competition. Mostly because you losers can’t recognize the superiority of Guild Wars 2, He says, his journalistic objectivity on full display.