Attachment 46873
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion's titular location is returning in The Elder Scrolls Online, heralded during an official Gates of Oblivion announcement stream today by an epic cinematic trailer. The Elder Scrolls Online: Gates of Oblivion not only sends players to Tamriel's equivalent of hell, but it also introduces Mehrunes Dagon, a Daedric Prince of universe lore infamy.
First teased at The Game Awards 2020, The Elder Scrolls: Gates of Oblivion has been one of the most highly anticipated expansions to hit the game since it launched in 2014. Oblivion is the realm of the Daedra, powerful and ancient beings that serve as veritable gods and demons in the Elder Scrolls universe. Consisting of planes of fire and brimstone, the extradimensional area was first introduced in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, in which portals to Oblivion open and threaten Tamriel's existence. Originally scheduled for January 20 and pushed back due to the US Presidential Inauguration, players have gotten their first good look at what to expect when they return to Oblivion.
As part of the Elder Scrolls Online: Gates of Oblivion reveal event, Bethesda shared a cinematic trailer showing a party become embroiled in a Daedra-worshipping cultist plot before being sucked into the Planes of Oblivion. The heroes come face-to-face with Mehrunes Dagon, the main villain in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and the Daedric God of Revolution. The Gates of Oblivion expansion will be a yearlong affair, starting with the Flames of Ambition DLC on March 8 for PC and Google Stadia players (and March 16 on PS4 and Xbox One) and Blackwood in June.
With Oblivion returning to The Elder Scrolls series for the first time in 15 years, Gates of Oblivion adds another feather to The Elder Scrolls Online's cap of iconic series locations. According to what developer ZeniMax Online Studios is laying the groundwork for as the expansion rolls out over the course of 2021, players can expect this rendition of Oblivion to far more sprawling than their original visit. The heart of the expansion will begin with Blackwood in the summer, which will bring back the Imperial City (also from The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion), other locations, new gear, and a new main storyline, as well as the return of the franchise's Companion system to enhance solo play.
What makes this continued breadth of content so impressive isn't just the nostalgia factor, but also because ZeniMax Online is reportedly developing a new title on top of its sustained support of The Elder Scrolls Online. While the studio once seemed out of its depth in the MMO space, the steady improvement of post-launch content in the online Elder Scrolls adventure likely has fans excited at what's to come of the developer's next project.
The Elder Scrolls Online is available on PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Google Stadia, and its PS5 and Xbox Series X/S launch is TBA.
