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 State of Tamriel: Is ESO Dying or Just Evolving? What the Community Expects from 2026
I recently put the question to the ESO community: “What can we expect from The Elder Scrolls Online in 2026, and is the game dying or just adjusting to the recent management changes?“
After consolidating responses from long-time players across various forums, a clear picture emerges. The community is deeply divided, passionately critical, yet holds out hope for a handful of crucial technical and quality-of-life updates. Here is a consolidated look at what players are forecasting for the next year and beyond.
1. The Core Conflict: Bleak Times vs. The 30-Year ESO Plan
The central disagreement lies in the game’s overall health.
The Pessimistic View:
Many veterans who have played for a decade describe the current period as “one of the bleakest times” they’ve ever seen. This group points to a palpable decline in endgame activity (fading veteran trial groups), the atrocious management sentiment, and the game seemingly entering a “maintenance mode.” The shift from yearly Chapters to smaller, seasonal content releases is viewed by critics as ZOS running out of map space and capacity for large-scale content.
The Optimistic View:
Other players dismiss the “dying game” narrative as forum and “clickbait” negativity. They highlight a massive overall player base (even if Cyrodiil isn’t always full), the recent implementation of console add-ons, and ZOS’s own promise of a 30-year future for the game. For this group, the game is simply at a “slow point.
The consensus?
The game won’t die, but 2026 is widely considered a “wait-and-see” year. The concern is that ZOS might be “reaping what they can without investing a penny,” prioritizing the Crown Store’s smooth functionality over fixing core game issues.
2. The Technical Lifelines: ESO Crossplay and New-Gen Focus
If there is one technical change that the community sees as both necessary and likely to “save the numbers,” it is crossplay.
Full Crossplay:
This is the most demanded technical feature. Console players, in particular (PS and Xbox EU), often describe their servers as “dead af” and believe that full cross-play between PC, Xbox, and PlayStation is the only way to boost population, fix long queue times, and make end-game PvE and PvP playable again. Some players are hopeful, citing ZOS is already working on it.
Ditching Old Hardware:
A strong contingent of players hopes that ZOS will finally drop support for PS4 and Xbox One. The theory is that clinging to old-gen consoles prevents modern, ambitious updates and chains the development team to restrictive hardware limitations.
3. What to Expect from ESO in 2026
While ZOS is playing its cards close to the chest, players are working off a mix of official hints and hopeful speculation.
4. ESO’s Path Forward: Fixing Broken Systems
Beyond new zones, the biggest source of current player frustration stems from fundamental systems that need immediate attention.
The Subclassing Disaster:
Subclassing (multiclassing) had “promise,” but its poor implementation and subsequent lack of balance have alienated a “massive amount of players.” Critics feel ZOS “just poured every spice possible in and walked away,” resulting in wildly unbalanced PvE and unkillable PvP builds. The community is desperate for thoughtful adjustments to make pure-classing viable again.
Meaningful Progression:
After Champion Point 1800, progression “basically stops meaning anything.” Players demand more reasons to grind, with suggestions ranging from new achievements, mounts, or cosmetics to a veteran overland difficulty update.
The Crown Store Priority:
There is a widespread, almost cynical joke that players can always expect the Crown Store to remain functional at all times, even if the rest of the game is broken. This perception fuels the belief that the current management direction prioritizes monetization above all else.
The overall sentiment is that ZOS has a loyal ESO player base that desperately cares about the game, but that loyalty is being tested. The hope for 2026 is that the new management structure will listen to community feedback (particularly on balance and technical debt) and finally deliver the quality, innovative content that has felt missing in recent years.
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.
