With all the Talk about where New World is actually headed, the ESO community is anticipating the return of New World players to Tamriel. And guess what? We’re rolling out the red carpet! We are excited to welcome back all those who jumped ship in search of something better than ESO. Get ready for some serious guild growth you guys! :] (Whutzhizname)
Re-Entry into Mundus
Its crazy to see what’s happening in the MMO sphere right now. With the news of New World going into maintenace mode I think we can expect a full return of New World players back on Nirn!
After asking the community what they thaught about this news, The most common response was “They were ESO players first anyways” Lol.
A few New World players did find their way into the comments, saying that they were actually looking forward to returning to ESO. Not only did they confirm that the game is dead, but they also commented that the game became quite repetitive, calling themselves “New World Refugees.”
Overwhelming Grace
The desire to keep the game “alive and growing” strongly contributes to this welcoming attitude.
There was a small concern about the possibility of some new players being toxic but was quickly shot down by others saying thungs like, “bad eggs will weed themselves out” or that gamers are “just like us.”
After asking the community, I’m confident in my conclusion that we are prepared to welcome all of the new and returning players back with open arms. In fact, we are happy to hear of their return and look forward to seeing them again. Our focus for the community is on growth, economy, and the overall health of our community and the game!
Have you ever joined a Elder Scrolls Online dungeon or trial with a ESO group only to be met with total silence? Me too. Even though ESO is an MMO, sometimes it feels like a single player game where everyone just rushes through content without saying anything. This isn’t just annoying, it’s a serious problem.
The silence isn’t random. It really just boils down to some things that have happened over the years. Well, I’ve asked the community to try and see if I could find out why, and after not only being called a bot and being accused of spam, and at the end being banned, as well as my community being permanently deleted, this is what I was able to salvage from the comments.
1. The Whole Thing Is Really Just A Chore
For most players who have been playing a while, veteran content is no longer fun, it’s a chore. Players really only login to go through the motions to do things like completing the daily crafting writs and farming Transmute Crystals, a valuable item used to craft gear.
The main priority is simple, “get it done as quick as possible”. Any time spent actually talking about mechs is basically seen as a total waste of time. Heres something that i learned while researching for this post. Its common knowledge in the community that when joining a pug, you are expected to know the mechs! Asking for help is seen as an inconvenience that slows everyone down. This forces anyone who needs guidance to stay quiet.
2. ESO Group Broken Voice Chat
A big part of the silence comes from In-game voice chat being broken most of the time as well as Xbox party chat also buggin out as soon as you actually need it to work.
External Voice Chat:
On consoles (Xbox and PlayStation), most group chat has moved outside the game to dedicated Xbox party chats or Discord. This means the in-game group chat is essentially dead.
Broken History:
Years ago, technical failures actually broke the in-game voice chat. This forced players to rely on outside programs, and they never changed their habits back.
Text Chat is Too Hard:
If you’ve ever tried to sneak in a quick text while you’re in the middle of a trial, well… we’ve all been there and failed, lol.
Language Barrier:
While on the European (EU) server, where groups often contain players who don’t speak English, making matters worse for people like me who use google translate to communicate so that i don’t lose a guild member because they feel ignored.
3. Staying Silent to Avoid Toxic ESO Players
After asking the community, for some players, silence has become the best way to deal with toxic players, not out of fear but because its simply a waste of time and energy. Many community members point to past bad experiences as the main reason they stay quiet.
Fear of Being Shamed:
Other players worry about meeting “trolls and elitists” who will shame anyone who’s not in full meta gear. If a player admits they are new or messes up, the immediate reaction is often kicking them, without explanation, leaving them feeling discouraged. I’ve definitely been there before… IT SUX
Burnout:
Veteran players who have tried to teach have become extremely frustrated, being harrased with rude replies or being called a “toxic” just for suggesting better gear. It’s gotten so exhausting that the decent players are muting chat and running private lobbies just to get the content done.
Reporting Culture: The common feeling is that “People enjoy reporting and kicking more than actually connecting and communicating.” Silence is the only the only way to deal with this problem.
4. The Habit of Playing Alone
It seems like a lot of the ESO players, myself included, came from the single player games like Skyrim and Oblivion, creating a group of people who just prefer to enjoy playing the game solo, even though we join groups for content that can’t be “solod”.
To some of us, talking feels weird or socially awkward. As one quiet player noted, they are simply “not comfortable with strangers” and won’t turn on a microphone.
5. Real World Responsibilities
Many players avoid talking for practical reasons that outweigh the need for in game chat.
Noise Control:
Some players are older or have busy lives, joining runs before work or late at night. They may have kids that are asleep, and can’t use a headset or make noise.
Distractions:
Younger player like to listen to their own music or and don’t want to hear “some idiot’s music the whole time” or random background noise.
How to Deal with this Issue?
The silence in ESO is complex, caused by many different reasons. These are just a few of the more common ones mentioned by the community.
It’s safer just to be quiet. Everyone expects you to be a flawless master the second you join a PUG, and any communication just opens you up to a losing argument that not only gets you kicked and banned, but more importantly robs you of the enjoyment of playing the game for the short while that your kids are asleep.
The Soulution:
Join a guild! Running with guildmates ensures you are with friendly players who are willing to use Discord or voice chat, offering dedicated “safe zones” to ask for help.
(SPEAK UP IMMEDIATELY) If you must join a PUG and are new to the game, use the text chat before the group starts. A simple “Im New” or “Dont Know Mechs” can save the group significant time and stress.
By understanding why silence and toxicity Exists, players can find Non-Toxic social environments that ESO truly can offer through a good guild.
The Elder Scrolls Online’s Writhing Wall event has sparked some lively discussion among players, with reviews ranging from “awesome” to “abysmal”. Here’s a summary of what the community is saying about the event, the Solstice zone, and whether or not to snag the Content Pass.
The Event: Phases, Participation, and Grind:
The Writhing Wall event is a three-phase storyline centered around tearing down the Wall and preparing for an assault against the Worm Cult.
Phase 1 is themed around preparation3. It involves repeatable daily quests like Crafting, collecting Items, gathering Vitrified Souls, and Defending a Siege Camp (the last of which is only available in Solstice for Content Pass owners).
Phase 2 is set to add additional dailies, rewards, and a new World Boss as the Worm Cult retaliates.
Phase 3 will bring more rewards and a public dungeon called the Writhing Fortress, focusing on finally breaching the wall.
The general sentiment on the event’s current state (Phase 1) is mixed:
Positive Notes: Many find the event to be cooler than previous zone events. It’s considered solid for leveling an alt and offers good XP with dailies. Players appreciate the high player turnout, the simple and easy participation, and the vibe in Solstice which includes dance parties and players helping each other. The concept of the whole server working together to tear down a wall was initially exhilarating.
Negative Feedback: A significant portion of the community finds the event repetitive. Phase 1 is described as abysmal and boring with reskinned dolmens, and critics claim it’s just “a lot of boring busy work for low rewards”. The current content is seen as a mundane overland grind with few challenges. There are also complaints about buggy elements, a lack of a merchant and banker in the camp, and some dailies being too long and boring.
Rewards and Drop Rates:
Rewards for the event are available, including a mount, pet, furnishings, and style pages.
Notable Drops: The Coldharbor Estate house drop (normally 5600 crowns) is a major draw for the grind. You can also get new motif pages, skill styles, and furnishing plans.
Daily Rewards: Players can earn up to three gold boxes per account, per day, from the repeatable daily quests.
Controversy on Drops: The drop rates for desirable items like vitrified souls and other rewards are frequently criticized as inconsistent and ridiculously bad. The low drop rate can encourage a “compete for drops” mentality rather than cooperation, which disappoints some players.
Important Note:ALL rewards can be obtained after the event by Content Pass owners, as the Siege Camps will remain as ongoing incursions in Solstice. The only exclusive reward is the “Wallbreaker” title, available only during Phase 3. Furthermore, the market may become oversaturated with loot post-event, making style and motif pages potentially cheap to buy with gold.
The Content Pass: Buy for the Event?
It’s crucial to understand what you’re buying. You don’t buy the event; you buy the Content Pass, which is a purchase for the remainder of the year’s content.
Content Pass Includes:
The new Solstice zone (located southeast on the map).
A new Zone Story (11 quests) and side quests.
4 Dungeons, 1 Trial (Ossein Cage), 6 Delves, 7 World Bosses, and 2 Public Dungeons
New mounts, pets, collectibles, furnishing plans, and over 80 achievements.
Access to the Solstice-specific elements of the Writhing Wall event.
Participation Without the Pass: You do not have to buy the Content Pass to participate in the Writhing Wall event. Players without the Pass can do almost everything in Phase 1, including three of the four types of repeatable daily quests, in base-game zones.
Verdict on Buying the Pass:
Don’t Buy for the Event Alone: Many veterans and newer players strongly advise against buying the pass just for the Writhing Wall event, especially since Phase 1 is considered “pitiful” and “worse than past events” by some.
Consider Buying for the Full Content: If you want access to the Western Solstice zone, the full storyline, the Ossein Cage trial, and the other year-long content, the Content Pass may be worth it—especially if it’s on sale.
Ultimately, the Writhing Wall event has proven to be a mixed bag. While the concept is great and the social atmosphere can be fun, the Phase 1 grind and inconsistent rewards have left many veterans disappointed. As Phases 2 and 3 are yet to fully roll out, some players are reserving final judgment, hoping they will offer the “harder bosses” and “dungeon-type content” that has been promised.
Are you curious about what furniture plans our ESO community likes the most?
I’ve asked our friends on Facebook, Reddit, and other social media to see what our community likes the best, and these are the top ten, in no specific order:
The best place to find this plan and other similar plans is in West Weald. According to the source, you can obtain these from the Skingrad coffers that you get from the daily quests, World Bosses, Incursions, etc.
Your best bet for the “blue Leyawiin castle wall plan” is to complete the Leyawiindaily quests in Blackwood to earn Leyawiin Reward Coffers. You can also try farming containers throughout the Blackwood zone.
The most reliable source is the Necrom Daily Quest Reward Coffers (for the Delve and World Boss daily quests) in the Telvanni Peninsula and Apocrypha zones. The chance to receive a purple plan from a single coffer is very low.
The Diagram, Daedric Fence, Section is an extremely rare and valuable. Doesn’t drop in a specific location but you might find it in Coldharbour, Random Loot, Dolmens, andPickpocketing,
The Praxis: Elsweyr Shrine, Ancient Large drops from the final bosses of the two dungeons, Moongrave Fane, and Lair of Maarselok.
The plan for Painting Brush, Details is rare and drops from random sources throughout the world like Looting containers, Killing monsters, Rewards from companion perks (e.g., Mirri’s pouches) and Treasure Maps.
The Praxis: Ayleid Bookcase, Tall Cluttered is one of the rarest furnishing plans in ESO. It drops from any mob(enemy) within anAyleid Ruin. Public Dungeons in Ayleid Ruins, Delves in Ayleid Ruins, Group Dungeons that are Ayleid Ruins.
The Praxis: Elsweyr Platform, Ancient Rectangular drops from the final bosses of the two dungeons, Moongrave Fane, and Lair of Maarselok.
The Diagram: Apocrypha Bridge, Large Curling drops in TheInfinite Archive. The plan has a chance to drop from Chests inside the Infinite Archive.
The Praxis: Alinor Fountain, Four-Way Timeworn drops from Lootable containers around summerset.
The cost of these furnishing plans isn’t the focus; this list highlights items frequently mentioned by players from guilds within our community, such as Remnant of Magna-Ge, Pheasant Pluckers, and Lords of Sithis Xbox.
Choose Your Race and Class in ESO Wisely: The Optimal Pairing Mistake
When creating your character in ESO, your initial choice of Race and Class is the single most important decision for long-term optimal performance, especially in endgame content like Veteran Trials and PVP.
Optimal Pairing: Thoroughly research the best Race and Class combinations and meta builds for your chosen role.
Min-Maxing: While any combo is viable for casual play, choosing a synergistic pairing is essential for min-maxing in challenging content.
Character Investment: Smart initial choices prevent the need to purchase costly Crown Store Race Change Tokens or abandon a high-level character later.
The most time-efficient action you can take as a new player is to immediately join the three main in-game guilds: the Fighters Guild, the Mages Guild, and the Undaunted (at level 10).
Why? Joining these organizations unlocks their respective Skill Lines. Once unlocked, these skill lines level up passively as you complete activities related to them.
Fighters Guild: Killing Daedra and Undead (common enemies). Unlocks powerful passives and abilities for Stamina builds. Mages Guild: Finding and reading Lorebooks scattered throughout the world. Unlocks powerful passives and abilities for Magicka builds. Undaunted: Completing Dungeons and daily Pledges (unlocked at level 45). Unlocks the crucial Undaunted Mettle passive, which boosts resources.
The crucial benefit is eliminating backtracking. By unlocking these skill lines right away, every monster you kill and every Lorebook you find contributes to your progression. This passive leveling ensures you won’t have to stop questing later to spend hours grinding these skill lines from scratch.
Below are the three main Alliances and their locations.
Fighters Guild Hall: Located in the city of Mournhold in the zone of Deshaan. It’s often found in the southern part of the city.
Mages Guild Hall: Also in Mournhold, close to the city center.
Undaunted Enclave: Found in the Mournhold Outskirts, usually outside the main gate.
Find Your ESO Community: Join a Player Guild
After setting up your character, your next crucial step is to use the Guild Finder in the Options menu to join a player-run guild immediately.
These are groups of real players who band together to offer help, advice, and access to unique resources. Finding an active, helpful guild is essential because you will need their assistance for the very next important step in your character’s progression.
Don’t delay! A supportive guild community is the single best resource for new players, providing:
Real-Time Help: Get answers to your questions instantly.
Mentorship: Find experienced players to guide your early build decisions.
Trading Access: Gain entry to a guild store (if it’s a trading guild) to buy or sell gear.
Group Content: Easily find groups for dungeons, world bosses, or other activities.
Maximize XP Gain: Secure Your Training Gear
While finding a helpful community is important, the absolute first request you should make to your newly joined player guild is to ask a Master Crafter for a set of Training Gear.
While finding a helpful community is important, the absolute first request you should make to your newly joined player guild is to ask a Master Crafter for a set of Training Gear.
Training Gear is crucial for new characters. This special crafted equipment has the Training trait, which dramatically increases the Experience Point (XP) gain from all your kills.
The best set to use while leveling is Heartland Conqueror. When you equip five pieces of this set, its unique bonus doubles the effectiveness of your weapon’s trait. By ensuring your crafted weapons also have the Training trait, you gain a massive, boosted XP bonus that lasts until you reach the max gear level (CP 160).
Why this is essential: Speed-Leveling with Heartland Conqueror: Combining the Training trait on weapons with the Heartland Conqueror five-piece bonus creates the fastest passive XP boost available, significantly accelerating your leveling speed.
Skill Line Efficiency: To ensure you level all armor skill lines (Light, Medium, and Heavy) simultaneously, request a mixed set of armor: one piece of each weight and the remaining six in the weight appropriate for your build (e.g., five Medium, one Light, one Heavy for a Stamina DPS). This highly efficient method prevents the need to backtrack later just to level unused armor types.
Guild Advantage: This is a classic example of why joining a guild is vital—you need a skilled, established player to craft this essential gear for you.
As soon as you join a guild, politely ask in chat if a Master Crafter would be willing to craft a basic set of Heartland Conqueror Training Gear appropriate for your level and chosen role! Make sure to specify you need one piece of Light, one piece of Heavy, and the rest in your primary armor weight—all with the Training trait.
ESO XP Boost Consumables
One of the most effective and common ways to speed up your leveling in The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) is by using Experience (XP) boost consumables.
These consumables generally come in two forms: Experience Scrolls (mostly from the Crown Store or Daily Login Rewards) and Ambrosia Potions (craftable via the Provisioning skill line or purchased from other players).
You can only have one XP boost potion or XP scroll active at a time; they do not stack with each other. For example, using a Psijic Ambrosia (50%) and a 150% scroll will result in only the stronger 150% buff being active. However, the boost from a scroll or potion does stack with most other sources of XP gain.
Don’t Buy, Train! Securing Your Free Mount
As a new player, you should not spend gold on a horse right away. You will receive your first mount for free once your character reaches Level 10 as a reward for leveling up.
While the free horse starts slow, the important thing is to immediately begin training your riding skills at a stable.
Where to Train: Find a Stable Master in any major city.
How Often: You can upgrade one of your mount’s stats every 20 hours in real time.
Priority: Your primary focus should be upgrading Mount Speed. A faster mount dramatically improves your efficiency for questing, exploring, and traveling between locations.
By consistently training your mount daily, you’ll ensure that your free horse quickly becomes as fast and useful as any purchased mount in the game.
Secure Permanent Mount Speed: The Cyrodiil Quest
While Mount Training is vital, there is an immediate, permanent upgrade available that significantly boosts your travel speed: the “Continuous Attack” passive.
To acquire this crucial passive, you must travel to Cyrodiil (the Alliance War zone) as soon as you hit Level 10 and complete the introductory quest.
Enter Cyrodiil: Travel to the Cyrodiil zone via the Alliance War tab in your menu.
Complete the Quest: Immediately pick up and complete the short introductory quest, “Welcome to Cyrodiil”
Unlock the Passive: Completing this quest grants you access to the Assault skill line, even if you never PVP again.
Buy the Passive: Spend a Skill Point to unlock the “Continuous Attack” passive within the Assault line.
Benefit: This passive gives you a permanent, passive 15% increase to your mount speed. This buff stacks with your daily Mount Training, making your free horse much faster immediately and ensuring you save countless hours of travel time throughout the game.
ESO Power-Leveling Strategy: The Grind
With your optimized build, essential guilds joined, and speed buffs secured, it’s time to put your plan into action and power-level to the maximum character level (Level 50).
Your goal is to maximize kill XP by wearing your Training Gear (especially the Heartland Conqueror set), consuming your XP Scrolls/Ambrosia, and rapidly defeating large groups of enemies.
The Grinding Location: (Crimson Cove) A highly effective and classic leveling spot is the Public Dungeon Crimson Cove in the Malabal Tor zone.
The Strategy: Prep Your Buffs: Ensure your Training Gear is equipped and your XP Scroll/Ambrosia is active.
Pull Large Groups: The layout of Crimson Cove allows you to run through large sections of the dungeon, “pulling” and consolidating dozens of NPCs (enemies) into one massive group.
Burn Them Down: Use your strongest Area-of-Effect (AoE) abilities to quickly defeat the entire mob. Rinse and Repeat
By executing this combination of preparation and repetition, you can reach Level 50 in a matter of hours, bypassing the days or weeks it would take through normal questing, and immediately unlocking access to the Champion Point (CP) system.
These are in my opinion the Biggest Beginner Mistakes in The Elder Scrolls Online.
I. Summary: The Core Principle of Mimic Stone Conversion to Gold.
This report shows the most effective method for converting Crown Mimic Stones into gold.
Obtain a Crown Mimic Stone.
Use the Mimic Stone as a universal style material to craft a rare style motif.
Deconsruct the newly crafted item to extract the tradable style material.
Sell the extracted style material through a guild trader for a significant gold return.
II. Understanding the Crown Mimic Stone:
A thorough understanding of the following is essential for maximizing your returns and avoiding common errors.
What is a Crown Mimic Stone:
A Crown Mimic Stone is a unique consumable that serves as a substitute for any specific style material when crafting an item in a style your character has already learned.
The most common error is the belief that the Mimic Stone grants the ability to craft any style. This is incorrect. You must first obtain and learn the corresponding style.
The “Craft-and-Deconstruct” Loop
Stop hoarding! Flip that bag filler into serious gold by follow these steps.
Travel to an appropriate crafting station (Blacksmithing, Woodworking, or Clothing).
Choose a piece of gear.
Select a style that your character has learned.
Activate the “Crown Mimic Stone” toggle option.
⚠️ Crucial Warning: The game often saves this setting. You must manually turn it off after use to prevent the unintentional consumption of additional stones in future crafting sessions.
Deconstruct the item.
Basically, when you break down an item made with a Crown Mimic Stone, you get the style material back. Since the Stone is free, you’ve turned a free item into a rare, sellable material.
III. High Value Styles:
IV. The Market Landscape:
You absolutely must price your item correctly. Selling for maximum profit requires you to know the current market, and the tools you use to check the market price will change based on your gaming system.
Price Checking Tools: PC vs. Console
Crafter’s Risk Mitigation Strategy
VI. Final Recommendations:
Acquire Mimic Stones.
Learn High-Value styles:
Join a Trading Guild: Secure membership in a trading guild that has a public guild trader in a major hub.
Monitor the Market: Use TTC (PC) or the new Market Tracker/Manual Checks (Console) to pinpoint which style material is currently selling for the highest price.
Craft and Deconstruct: Travel to the station, toggle the Mimic Stone option on, craft your items in bulk, and then deconstruct them. Crucially, toggle the Mimic Stone option off immediately afterward.
Sell and Profit: List the extracted style materials on your guild trader for a competitive price, adjusting based on current market data.
Concluding Remarks
The conversion of Crown Mimic Stones to gold is one of The Elder Scrolls Online’s most effective and sophisticated gold-making strategies. It is not a casual farming method, but a reward for the strategic player who has invested in both game knowledge and market intelligence. By leveraging specific style materials and mastering the market, you can transform a non-tradable, premium asset into a significant and reliable source of gold.
The Writhing Wall event, officially scheduled to begin on October 13, 2025, represents a significant evolution in The Elder Scrolls Online’s approach to content delivery and player engagement. Far from a conventional, repeatable festival, this initiative is a “once-in-history,” server-wide communal effort designed to conclude the first major narrative arc of the Seasons of the Worm Cult storyline and grant access to the subsequent chapter content. The event is a groundbreaking departure from the traditional model of time-limited, daily-grind activities, instead centering on a live, progressive content unlock. The following report provides a comprehensive analysis of the event’s foundational lore, its innovative phased mechanics, its unique reward structure, and the strategic implications for players and the game’s future. The analysis highlights its strategic role in fostering community-wide participation, transcending distinctions between players who own the new content and those who do not.
1. Introduction: A New Paradigm for In-Game Events
The established rhythm of The Elder Scrolls Online’s in-game events has long been defined by a predictable and repeatable format. Festivals such as the Jester’s Festival or the Undaunted Celebration offer daily quests and Event Tickets, which players can then use to purchase fragments for a yearly morphing collectible. This model, while effective for sustained engagement, can lead to a sense of routine.
2. Lore and Narrative Foundations
To fully appreciate the scope of the Writhing Wall event, one must first understand its deep roots within the game’s evolving narrative. It is the culmination of a year-long story arc, the Seasons of the Worm Cult, and is inextricably linked to the franchise’s overarching lore.
2.1 The Resurgence of the Worm Cult
The Worm Cult, a shadowy organization dedicated to the Daedric Prince Molag Bal, has returned as the primary antagonist of this year’s storyline. Their sudden resurgence marks a direct continuation of conflicts first explored in the base game’s main quest. Under the command of a new leader known only as “Wormblood,” the cult has unleashed a new and horrifying weapon: the “Soul Reapers”. These devices are capable of harvesting souls on a massive scale, with the ultimate goal of blanketing all of Tamriel in a “great soul net” to “siphon all souls” from the world and “bring death to all of Nirn”. The Writhing Wall itself is not merely a metaphor; it is a physical manifestation of this threat, a “colossal wall composed of the massive amount of souls the Worm Cult has harvested”. It is a soul-forged barrier stretching across the island of Solstice, a visual and visceral representation of the cult’s nefarious plans.
2.2 The Fellowship of Stirk and the Call to Arms
In response to this existential threat, a formidable alliance has been forged. Dubbed “The Fellowship of Stirk”—a name that recalls the historic ceasefire from the base game—this coalition brings together the Fighters Guild, the Mages Guild, and key representatives from each of the three Alliances. Players will join forces with familiar and beloved NPCs, including Razum-dar for the Aldmeri Dominion, Walks-in-Ash for the Ebonheart Pact, and Skordo the Knife for the Daggerfall Covenant. These figures, updated with new visual assets, will coordinate the defense against the Worm Cult and rally heroes from across Tamriel, providing a direct link back to the player’s early adventures and reinforcing a sense of a shared, lived-in world.
2.3 The Island of Solstice: A Stage for Conflict
The Writhing Wall event is geographically centered on the island of Solstice, a “tropical paradise” located south of Murkmire. This new zone, introduced as the setting for the
Seasons of the Worm Cult Part 1, is physically divided into two main regions: Western Solstice, which has been available since the chapter’s launch, and Eastern Solstice, which remains sealed behind the imposing soul barrier. The event’s narrative and mechanical purpose is to unite the community to shatter this wall, thereby unlocking the eastern part of the island and allowing players to venture into the second half of the zone to confront the Worm Cult’s ultimate plans.
3. Event Mechanics and Phased Progression
The unique structure of the Writhing Wall event is its most defining feature, unfolding in three distinct and progressive phases that rely on the cumulative effort of the player base.
3.1 The Event Calendar and Dynamic End Date
The official start date for the event is confirmed as October 13, 2025. However, unlike typical ESO events with a predetermined duration, the Writhing Wall’s conclusion is contingent upon player participation. The event’s final phase culminates only when a collective, server-wide progress bar is filled, causing the wall to shatter. This dynamic end date has led to community discussion regarding its authenticity. Some players have voiced skepticism, suggesting the progression is likely time-gated by the developers to ensure the content unlock aligns with a pre-planned schedule, such as the upcoming Update 48 patch. This highlights a prevailing tension between developer promises of a true community-driven experience and a player base that has become accustomed to scripted, time-locked content releases.
The following table provides a chronological overview of key content and events for 2025, placing the Writhing Wall in its proper context.
Content/Event
Release/Start Date
Notes
Fallen Banners (Dungeon Pack)
Now Available
Part of the 2025 Content Pass
Seasons of the Worm Cult, Part 1
Now Available
Explorable on Western Solstice
Feast of Shadows (Dungeon Pack)
Q3 2025
Part of the 2025 Content Pass, Undaunted Celebration
Undaunted Celebration
September 18, 2025
Runs until September 30, 2025
The Writhing Wall (In-Game Event)
October 13, 2025
Dynamic end date tied to server progress
Seasons of the Worm Cult, Part 2
Q4 2025
Unlocked after the Writhing Wall event
3.2 The Three Phases of Conflict
Phase One: Mobilization and Incursion: The initial phase focuses on preparation and defense. Players will assist the Stirk Fellowship with a variety of daily tasks, including gathering supplies, crafting, collecting Vitrified Souls, and fending off enemy attacks. These contributions, which can be repeated multiple times a day on different characters, form the foundation of the community’s progress.
Phase Two: The World Boss: The stakes are raised with the introduction of a new World Boss named Ghishzor. Defeating this formidable enemy on Solstice is a critical milestone that is “crucial to advancing the event” and is designed to rally players for a large-scale, group-based challenge.
Phase Three: The Climactic Breach: The final phase is the climax of the entire event. As the server’s collective progress bar fills, the final confrontation will begin, leading to the shattering of the Writhing Wall and the permanent unlocking of Eastern Solstice for all players.
3.3 Participation by Content Ownership
A key component of the event’s design is its inclusivity. Players with the 2025 Content Pass can directly participate on the island of Solstice, completing quests near the wall. However, players who do not own the new content are not excluded from the collective effort. The “Support the Fellowship” quest, available for free in the Crown Store, allows them to contribute from the base-game island of Stirk, completing their own version of the tasks. This dual-participation model ensures that every single player on a given megaserver can play a role in the event’s progression, reinforcing the communal nature of the experience and making every action a meaningful contribution.
4. Rewards and Collectibles: An Analysis of the Loot Pool
The reward system for the Writhing Wall event represents a significant departure from the standard Event Ticket model that has governed most recent festivals.
4.1 The Glorious Writhing Reward Coffer
The primary source of rewards is the Glorious Writhing Reward Coffer, which is earned from the first completed daily quest of the day. 1 Any subsequent daily quests will yield standard blue coffers. The Glorious Coffer contains a variety of unique, themed items that are directly related to the event’s narrative, including:
Wormwrithe Outfit Style pages: A new cosmetic armor style
Wormwrithe Haj Mota Hatchling pet fragments: Collectible fragments that, once assembled, form a unique in-game pet.
Bone Skill Style fragments: A new style page that requires twenty-five fragments to create a usable style.
4.2 Quest-Specific and Furnishing Rewards
In addition to the coffers, players can earn rewards tied to specific quests. The Stirk Fellowship motif pages are available from quests provided by General Zasimba, a quest-giver located exclusively at the Solstice Fellowship camp, making these rewards accessible only to players who own the new chapter. Furthermore, new Worm Cult-themed furnishings will be available, allowing players to decorate their homes with unique relics from the event.
4.3 The Absence of Event Tickets
A crucial distinction of this event is its lack of Event Tickets. This removes the central mechanic that has driven participation in recent festivals, where players complete activities to earn tickets for a year-long morphing collectible from the Impresario. By omitting Event Tickets, the developers have deliberately shifted the focus away from a repetitive daily grind for a common currency and toward the direct acquisition of unique, event-specific rewards. This re-focuses player motivation on the event’s content itself rather than a metagame of collecting currency. The fact that some of these rewards, such as the style pages and furnishings, are tradable on guild traders provides a powerful incentive for players to participate, offering a new avenue for earning in-game gold that is distinct from the traditional event structure. This choice suggests a conscious effort to address player burnout and provide a more rewarding experience tied directly to the event’s narrative and lore.
Reward
How to Obtain
Tradability
Wormwrithe Outfit Style pages
Glorious Writhing Reward Coffer
Yes
Wormwrithe Haj Mota Hatchling pet
Fragments from coffers
Yes
Bone Skill Style
25 fragments from coffers
Yes
Stirk Fellowship Motif pages
Quests from General Zasimba
Yes
Worm Cult-themed Furnishings
Coffers
Yes
5. Strategic Insights and Community Dynamics
The Writhing Wall is not just a content release; it is a live-service experiment that has sparked considerable discussion within the community.
5.1 Preparing for the Event
The event’s phased structure offers a clear path for players to prepare. The first phase, with its emphasis on crafting and gathering, suggests that players who stockpile common materials in advance will be well-positioned to contribute to the war effort from the start. Similarly, the introduction of the new Ghishzor World Boss in Phase Two highlights the importance of optimizing character builds for large-scale PvE combat. Players should review and refine their damage-dealing and support setups to effectively contribute to the collective effort. The event provides a natural incentive for players to engage with all aspects of the game, from resource gathering and crafting to challenging group content.
5.2 The “Once-in-History” Hype
The marketing language surrounding the event—particularly the phrase “once-in-history”—has been met with a mix of excitement and guarded cynicism from the community. On one hand, players are eager for a truly monumental, non-repeatable event that will permanently alter the game world. On the other, many express concern that this is simply a marketing ploy to time-gate the release of
Seasons of the Worm Cult Part 2. This response is not without precedent; a player base conditioned by years of seasonal content has learned to be wary of over-hyped promises. The authenticity of the “server progress bar” is a central point of this discussion, with some players openly speculating that its progression is pre-scripted to ensure the wall falls on a predetermined date. The successful execution of this event, and the perceived transparency of its progression, will be critical in building or eroding player trust in future communal events.
5.3 Comparing the Event Model
A comparative analysis of the Writhing Wall’s format provides critical context for its innovative design.
Versus the Witches Festival: The Writhing Wall’s release in October 2025 places it in close proximity to the annual Witches Festival. The Witches Festival is a prime example of a traditional, repeatable event that is known for its specific mechanics, such as obtaining Plunder Skulls and participating in the Hollowjack boss quest, all for the purpose of earning Event Tickets. The Writhing Wall stands in stark contrast by not offering Event Tickets and instead focusing on a progressive, narrative-driven objective. The potential for these two events to overlap will create an interesting dynamic for players, forcing them to choose between two very different types of engagement.
Versus the Undaunted Celebration: The Undaunted Celebration, which takes place in late September, is a dungeon-focused event that rewards players with double Undaunted Keys and Event Tickets for completing group dungeons. This is a model built on repetition and reward optimization for individual progression. The Writhing Wall, with its open-world, collective, and non-ticketed design, represents a deliberate move away from this long-standing formula. It is an attempt to create a different kind of motivation for players—not to grind for a reward currency, but to participate in a shared, world-changing moment.
6. Conclusion and Future Implications
The Writhing Wall event stands as a significant experiment in The Elder Scrolls Online’s content delivery strategy. It is an ambitious attempt to fuse narrative progression with player participation in a way that is unprecedented for the game. Its success will be a litmus test for whether a live-service MMO can effectively transition from a model of predictable, repeatable content to one of unique, story-driven, and truly communal experiences. The event’s design—from its dual-participation model to its non-ticketed reward structure and its reliance on a server-wide progression—demonstrates a clear effort to innovate and address player fatigue with the traditional event format.
If the Writhing Wall successfully captures the imagination of the player base and its progression feels genuinely communal, it could set a powerful precedent for future content. Developers may move away from the static, daily-grind festivals towards a more dynamic, story-centric format that makes players feel like active participants in a changing world rather than simply consumers of new content. The event is a bold step forward, one that promises to reshape the very nature of in-game events in Tamriel for years to come.
