The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) is a fantasy MMORPG from ZeniMax Online Studios, set across the continent of Tamriel. You quest through zone stories alone or with friends, then reach level 50 and earn Champion Points for group content. Winning means finishing stories, clearing veteran dungeons and trials, or helping your alliance win a Cyrodiil campaign.
What is The Elder Scrolls Online?
ESO is an online role-playing game in the same world as Skyrim and Oblivion. ZeniMax Online Studios develops it and Bethesda Softworks publishes it. It launched on PC and Mac in April 2014, reached PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in June 2015, and has native PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions. You buy the base game once, and an optional ESO Plus membership adds perks on top.
In 2026 the game switched from yearly paid chapters to three-month seasons, and new seasonal content is free for base-game owners. Season Two, called Echoes of Skyrim, starts on October 21, 2026, and runs to January 27, 2027. Just before it, on October 19, the older Greymoor and Wolfhunter add-ons join the base game, opening Western Skyrim, the Kyne's Aegis trial and two group dungeons to everyone.
| Fact | The Elder Scrolls Online (as of October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Developer | ZeniMax Online Studios |
| Publisher | Bethesda Softworks |
| First release | April 4, 2014 (PC and Mac) |
| Platforms | PC, Mac, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X|S |
| Price model | Buy the base game; optional ESO Plus subscription; seasonal content free |
| Genre | Fantasy MMORPG |
| Current season | Season Two: Echoes of Skyrim (from October 21, 2026) |
What is the objective of The Elder Scrolls Online?
The big-picture goal is the main story: stopping a Daedric Prince's plot to pull Tamriel into his realm, with dozens of zone stories, guild questlines and seasonal plots around it. You can play almost all of it solo, in any order, because zones scale to your level.
Once you reach level 50, a second goal takes over. You earn Champion Points, which add account-wide passive bonuses, and collect gear sets to build a character that can handle veteran dungeons and trials. A typical session might be a few quests, a dungeon run from the group finder, or an evening of PvP in Cyrodiil.
How do you win a match in The Elder Scrolls Online?
ESO is not built around matches, except in its PvP modes. Here is what winning looks like in each main activity:
| Mode | Team size | How you win |
|---|---|---|
| Story and zone quests | Solo or group | Finish the questline and its final fight |
| Group dungeons (normal or veteran) | 4 players | Beat every boss to the end of the dungeon |
| Solo dungeons (Season Two) | 1 player | Clear the solo version of Moon Hunter Keep or March of Sacrifices |
| Trials (normal or veteran) | 12 players | Defeat the final boss; veteran and hard mode add leaderboards and better gear |
| Cyrodiil campaign (Alliance War) | Three alliances | Your alliance has the highest score when the campaign ends |
| Battlegrounds | Small teams | Score the most points in the round's objective |
In Cyrodiil, alliances earn points every hour for the keeps, Elder Scrolls, outposts and resources they hold. Most campaigns last 30 days, and the alliance with the top score at the end wins. If one alliance holds all six keeps around the Imperial City, its top-scoring player for that campaign becomes Emperor. Three-team Battlegrounds returned with Update 51 on September 28, 2026.
How does ranked or progression work?
Character progress runs from level 1 to 50, then into Champion Points. The first character to hit 50 unlocks the Champion System for your whole account, and bonuses you earn apply to your other characters as well. Gear comes in sets, and the strongest Perfected versions of trial sets drop only on veteran difficulty.
PvP has its own ranks earned through Alliance Points, plus campaign leaderboards. Each season also has a Tamriel Tome reward track with a free tier for everyone and optional paid tiers. For more ESO help as we add it, see the Elder Scrolls Online guides hub, and for other games, browse every game explained.
Beginner tips to win more
- Play the stories you like. Zones scale to you, so follow whatever plot interests you rather than a strict order.
- Grab the free content. From October 19, Greymoor and Wolfhunter are part of the base game, so Western Skyrim and their dungeons cost nothing extra.
- Try solo dungeons first. Season Two's solo versions let you learn boss fights before you join a group.
- Use the group finder. Normal dungeons are a quick way to earn gear and practise your role as tank, healer or damage dealer.
- Collect gear sets early. Two good sets matter more than a high level.
- Respec freely. The 2026 updates added free skill and attribute resets, so experiment.
- Join a guild. Trials need twelve players, and guilds are the easiest way to find a steady group.
How can Boosting Games help with The Elder Scrolls Online?
We offer fixed-price ESO help, listed in our ESO services collection and on the Elder Scrolls Online boosting page. Prices below are starting prices as of October 2026; the exact price for your option shows before checkout. The how it works page walks through each step of an order.
| Service | What you get | Price |
|---|---|---|
| ESO Leveling and Champion Points | We level your character and earn Champion Points. | From $29 |
| ESO Veteran Dungeon Carry | A carry through the veteran dungeon you choose. | From $12 |
| ESO Veteran Trial Carry | A carry through a veteran trial. | From $25 |
| ESO Kyne's Aegis Trial Carry | A carry through the Kyne's Aegis trial. | From $19 |
| ESO Alliance War Rank Boost | We raise your Alliance War rank. | From $45 |
| ESO Build and Trial Coaching | Live coaching on your build and trial roles. | From $19 |
Honest risk note: ZeniMax's terms of service forbid sharing your account, and paid boosting is against the rules. Piloted orders, where a booster logs in to your account, carry the most risk. Grouping with a booster while you play is lower risk, and coaching carries none because you never share your login. Read our account safety notice before ordering. We never sell accounts, gold, Crowns, items, cheats or mods.
Get help with The Elder Scrolls Online
Pick a service and option, see the exact price before you pay, and follow progress on your private order page.
See The Elder Scrolls Online servicesAsk Boost Up AIRelated reading: our Elder Scrolls Online guides (more are on the way), plus the beginner guides What Is World of Warcraft? and What Is Old School RuneScape? for two other MMORPGs. Questions? Ask Boost Up AI.
The Elder Scrolls Online FAQ
Is The Elder Scrolls Online free to play?
No, you buy the base game once and there is no required monthly fee. Since 2026, new seasonal content such as zones, dungeons and trials is free for base-game owners. ESO Plus is an optional subscription that adds perks like a monthly Crown allowance and extra Tome rewards. Older paid add-ons are steadily moving into the base game, including Greymoor and Wolfhunter on October 19, 2026.
What is ESO Season Two?
Season Two: Echoes of Skyrim runs from October 21, 2026, to January 27, 2027. It adds an Eastern Skyrim region, solo versions of the Moon Hunter Keep and March of Sacrifices dungeons, and a new Tamriel Tome reward track. The Witches Festival event also returns on October 21. Seasons last about three months, and each one brings its own story and rewards.
Can I play ESO solo?
Yes. The main story, zone stories and guild questlines are built for solo play, and Season Two adds solo dungeon versions. Group dungeons need four players and trials need twelve, but the group finder fills normal dungeons quickly. Many players spend hundreds of hours solo before ever trying a veteran trial.
What does winning mean in ESO?
ESO has no single finish line. For most players, winning means finishing the stories they care about, then clearing veteran dungeons and trials for better gear and achievements. PvP players aim to help their alliance top a 30-day Cyrodiil campaign or to become Emperor. Others chase achievements, housing or collections.
What are Champion Points in ESO?
Champion Points are the progression system after level 50. The first character to reach 50 unlocks it for the whole account, and the points you earn give passive bonuses that work on all your characters. Higher Champion Points also let you use stronger gear. They are the main measure of long-term progress once you hit the level cap.
How big is a trial group in ESO?
Trials are built for groups of twelve players, so most people join one through a guild or a community group. Each trial has a normal mode for learning and a veteran mode with harder fights, leaderboards and Perfected gear sets. Kyne's Aegis becomes part of the base game on October 19, 2026, which makes it an easy first trial for new players.
New directions: ESO Trials Guide: Veteran, Hard Mode and Kyne's Aegis (2026), ESO Veteran Dungeons Guide: Hard Mode, Pledges and Sets (2026) and all raid and dungeon guides.
Sources: Massively OP: Season 2 and free DLCs, Wccftech: ESO seasons model, Digital Citizen: Update 51 and delays, MMOs.com: Season One platforms, UESP: Campaigns, UESP: Veteran content.