In today's Bethesda Joins Xbox Roundtable, ZeniMax Online Studios Studio Director Matt Firor mentioned just how big their MMORPG, The Elder Scrolls Online, has become. Firor states that in 2020 alone the MMORPG added 3 million "new residents" to the online world of Tamriel, with accounts totaling over 18 million over the 7 year life of ESO.
Speaking during today's roundtable following the successful acquisition of ZeniMax Media by Microsoft, ZOS Studio Director Matt Firor talked a bit about the history of both his studio and their game, The Elder Scrolls Online. After admitting that the game stumbled out of the gate, Firor talked about just how successful the MMORPG has become since righting the ship, citing the faith ZeniMax's Founder Robert Altman, who unfortunately passed last month, had in his team to "fix it."
"It's no secret that ESO stumbled when it launched in the beginning," Firor stated. "But Robert didn't lose faith in us. 'You guys are smart,' he said. 'It didn't go the way you wanted, so now you fix it.' And we did fix it, and some of you might not know how successful we've become. We're one of the most successful, virtual-world fantasy games - period. Over 18 million users logging in from all over the world, 3 million new residents of Tamriel in just 202 alone."
Aaron Greenberg, General Manager of Xbox Games Marketing, also talked about the success of The Elder Scrolls Online, stating that in the 7 years since it launched, it has become the "number one, multi-plat online roleplaying game in the world."
The Elder Scrolls Online just recently launched its first DLC of 2021, titled Flames of Ambition as part of its year-long story, The Gates of Oblivion. The MMORPG is launching the next major chapter update, Blackwood, this June, adding a new region, slew of new quests and the companion system.