Elder Scrolls Online to Change Direction

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20 January 2026 08:12

The Elder Scrolls Online is heading into a fresh era with its new Seasons model, but developer ZeniMax Online Studios wants to make one thing clear. The move away from massive annual chapters toward more frequent, focused seasonal content has nothing to do with last year's tough layoffs at Microsoft or any reduction in staff.

Executive producer Susan Kath pushed back against suggestions that the change stemmed from the team struggling to handle big releases. "Seasons is not in any way a response to that," Kath stated firmly.

She explained that planning for Seasons began well before the difficulties hit. "We kicked off the Season work at least 12 to 14 months ago," Kath said. "We started making the changes in the team to move in this direction, knowing that this was our intent.

"Kath pointed out an interesting upside from recent events. Previously, many team members split their efforts across multiple projects, including the now-cancelled Project Blackbird. "Ultimately, we had a lot of people doing double duty on those projects, splitting their time between projects," she noted, referring to both ESO and the shelved title. "[They] are now devoted 100 percent to Elder Scrolls Online. So, in fact, in some capacities, we actually increased the number of folks available as we came out of that because they weren't managing two products anymore. They were only devoted to one title.

"Game director Nick Giacomini acknowledged the real emotional toll from the changes. "To say that [the layoffs] didn't impact us wouldn't be right," he added. "We're putting on a strong face. We're human. It absolutely impacted us. But, you know, the team rallied. We're excited about the future. We're excited that we're making all these big changes.

"The pivot to Seasons marks a significant evolution for the long-running MMO. Last week, ZeniMax announced Seasons as "a new way to adventure and earn rewards in The Elder Scrolls Online." This approach promises more regular updates, with gameplay content becoming freely available to all players and new systems like battle passes stepping in to drive rewards and progression.

The shift follows a challenging period for the studio. In July of last year, Microsoft implemented widespread cuts affecting thousands across the company, leading to the closure of Project Blackbird and the departure of studio president Matt Firor that same month.

More:ZeniMax Online Studio’s Cancelled Project Blackbird Leaked

Tags: Elder Scrolls Online Zenimax

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Elder Scrolls Online to Change Direction

More

20 January 2026 08:12

Tags: Elder Scrolls Online Zenimax

The Elder Scrolls Online is heading into a fresh era with its new Seasons model, but developer ZeniMax Online Studios wants to make one thing clear. The move away from massive annual chapters toward more frequent, focused seasonal content has nothing to do with last year's tough layoffs at Microsoft or any reduction in staff.

Executive producer Susan Kath pushed back against suggestions that the change stemmed from the team struggling to handle big releases. "Seasons is not in any way a response to that," Kath stated firmly.

She explained that planning for Seasons began well before the difficulties hit. "We kicked off the Season work at least 12 to 14 months ago," Kath said. "We started making the changes in the team to move in this direction, knowing that this was our intent.

"Kath pointed out an interesting upside from recent events. Previously, many team members split their efforts across multiple projects, including the now-cancelled Project Blackbird. "Ultimately, we had a lot of people doing double duty on those projects, splitting their time between projects," she noted, referring to both ESO and the shelved title. "[They] are now devoted 100 percent to Elder Scrolls Online. So, in fact, in some capacities, we actually increased the number of folks available as we came out of that because they weren't managing two products anymore. They were only devoted to one title.

"Game director Nick Giacomini acknowledged the real emotional toll from the changes. "To say that [the layoffs] didn't impact us wouldn't be right," he added. "We're putting on a strong face. We're human. It absolutely impacted us. But, you know, the team rallied. We're excited about the future. We're excited that we're making all these big changes.

"The pivot to Seasons marks a significant evolution for the long-running MMO. Last week, ZeniMax announced Seasons as "a new way to adventure and earn rewards in The Elder Scrolls Online." This approach promises more regular updates, with gameplay content becoming freely available to all players and new systems like battle passes stepping in to drive rewards and progression.

The shift follows a challenging period for the studio. In July of last year, Microsoft implemented widespread cuts affecting thousands across the company, leading to the closure of Project Blackbird and the departure of studio president Matt Firor that same month.

More:ZeniMax Online Studio’s Cancelled Project Blackbird Leaked

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