The Elder Scrolls Onlineplayers only have less than a month until thenew Blackwood chapterbegins. Aside from a new region to explore, quests to complete, and the addition of the Daedra as a new enemy to face, developer ZeniMax Online Studios will be including a new Companions system, meaning players can always have some company with them throughout their adventures.
In a recent blog post on theElder Scrolls Onlinewebsite, it explains how companions work and what players can expect from them. Firstly, there will only be two companions available at launch: the Dark Elf Mirri Elendis and battlemage Bastian Hallix. Players will need to unlock them by completing certain quests in the Blackwoodchapter.
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While both of these companions will be distinct from one another, each with their own personalities and quests, players will be able to customize their gear, appearance, and how they fight. They can also be given their own mount. According to the game’s lead systems designer, Philip Draven, the aim was to ensure companions augment and support players and for them to be just as customizable as the player character can be.
Companions will have a range of abilities to cover all possible combat roles and have been designed to be useful and assist in battle as players travel through thecontinent of Tamriel. For example, if someone plays as a tank, they may want their companion to focus on being a healer. However, Draven also says that they have been designed in such a way that they can’t exactly replace or be more powerful than other players.
In addition, there will be a new rapport function, where a player’s actions will have an impact on the relationship with their companions. It will differentiate between companions so, for example, Bastian will disapprove of a player stealing, whereas Mirri may not particularly care. Rapport will improve or worsen depending on the player’s actions and which companion they have with them and building upon these relationships can unlock new dialogue options, exclusive quests, and the ability to add them as houseguests to homes.
The new chapter isn’t all players have to look forward to. While Blackwood will be added to the game on June 1st, players will only need to wait another week for the next-gen version to become available. This version will release for thePlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/Sand will offer various visual and performance related enhancements.
As forThe Elder Scrolls 6, there have still been no new updates on it since its reveal in 2018. While it has been nearly three years since then, it’s unlikely that it will be shown off again atE3 2021, especially since Bethesda is also still working onStarfield, which it’s been just as quiet about.
The Elder Scrolls Onlineis available for PC, PlayStation 4, Stadia, and Xbox One. It will release for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on June 8th.
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