Elder Scrolls Online Gold Road has officially been released on June 3. This update is a major update for Bethesda MMO, including but not limited to the addition of a new Daedric Prince, new areas to explore, and ways to customize and tweak it to your liking.

In this interview, we spoke with Zone Lead Ed Stark, Scribing Project Lead Kira Schlitt, and Narrative Director for Elder Scrolls Online Bill Slavicsek to discuss the origins of this update and what players can expect from it.

New Daedric Prince: Ithelia

Daedric Princes are essentially gods from Elder Scrolls lore universe, and Gold Road has breathed new life into Daedric Princes: Ithelia. Also known as Forgotten Daedric Prince, he fills a gap in the celestial lineup.

Bill Slavicsek had this to say about this new Daedric Prince, who wanted to use Ithelia's unique personality and responsibilities to fill in some holes that other Daedric Princes had in these areas. Even though he is a forgotten prince, Narrative Director also needs to make a complete backstory and a way for him to interact with other princes.

For now, Ithelia's past and presence in Tamriel remain a mystery, but players only learned that she was betrayed by another Daedric Prince named Mora. However, there is no mention of Ithelia in Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, which is set 800 years after the events of Elder Scrolls Online. Slavicsek quietly told us that this issue will be resolved in Ithelia's story quests, so this matter needs to be explored slowly by players.

Slavicsek also told us that delving into Wood Elves is another important event for the narrative team. They are experiencing the traditions and culture of Wood Elves for the first time since the game area was released, and they are also very happy to bring Wood Elves into the game area.

Old And New West Weald

West Weald is a new area on Gold Road, but it's not the first time it's appeared in a video game. West Weald was previously a small part of Oblivion, and this update gives players the opportunity to explore the history of the area in more depth.

Ed Stark said that it was challenging and exciting for their team to think about how to add some new and special elements to West Weald. In addition, they did a good job of balancing the original material presented in Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and the story of new Daedric Prince.

Ed Stark also said that the established lore of West Weald left a lot of room for their team to play, so they used this to create an alternative history of West Weald. Their most important idea was not to make fans of the original Oblivion feel that it was a remake of the original and would not feel uncomfortable.

Also Read: Elder Scrolls Online: How To Customize Your Own House To The Maximum In Gold Road Chapter?

Scribing, Grimoires, And New Ways To Fight

Besides the two new events mentioned above, Gold Road also introduces Scribing. This is a brand new system that allows players to customize their skills - Grimoires. It can be customized in three different ways, allowing players to choose the equipment or mounts they bring into battle based on the ESO Gold they previously owned.

Scribing Lead Kira Schlitt explained that the goal of Scribing is to create a flexible system that allows players to focus on a certain aspect of their build or roleplay, and to swap out skills they don't like for new pairings at any time.

Schlitt added that Scribing is not just a way to make yourself stronger, but will also help players have more diverse roles and builds, and provide some new mechanics for those who don't have equipment.

Schlitt also shared one of her favorite combos: using Repelling Explosion version of Elemental Explosion. This throws a ball of elemental energy, which then explodes in a large area and knocks back all enemies in the area. It also has a persistent Lingering Torment Signature Script, which also increases each weapon's damage and Brutality and Sorcery energy.

Roleplay And Skill Styles Customization

Skill Styles is another new feature that Gold Road has brought to Elder Scrolls Online. Players can customize the appearance of their in-game combat skills, allowing players to fully integrate with their characters.

Schlitt said that he would often visit the community, where players are enthusiastic about character customization and roleplay, and as developers, they regard the phrase “play your way” as the most important priority. So the next goal is apparent, which is to continue to expand more possibilities for players.

The main creative team of Elder Scrolls Online said that they would be very glad with the players' feedback on new events such as Scribing and Skill Styles, and would be happy to share their favorites on social software. We also look forward to every player's new exploration in Elder Scrolls Online Gold Road!