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.