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Becoming a Werewolf in ESO means contracting Sanies Lupinus (Lycanthropy), an affliction that unlocks the Werewolf skill line and its abilities. Once infected, a short quest called Hircine's Gift progresses the disease to full Lycanthropy.
If you're weighing Werewolf against Vampirism, see the Becoming a Vampire guide before you commit.
- You can only have one affliction active at a time.
- Vampire abilities are always available on your skill bar.
- Werewolf abilities can only be used while transformed.
For a full breakdown of Werewolf abilities, visit the Werewolf skill line page. For Werewolf-specific builds, see the ESO Werewolf DPS build or the Solo Stamina Werewolf build.
What Changed for ESO Werewolves in Update 49
ESO Update 49 made several changes to how Lycanthropy works. Here's what changed:
| Change | Details |
| New Shrines | Added in Auridon, Glenumbra and Stonefalls |
| New Quests | New players can pickup intro quests from the Crown Store |
| NPC Quest Givers | Firralthel starts the Werewolf quest at each new shrine |
| Returning players | Instant skill line re-acquisition, no quest repeat needed |
| Nighttime requirement | Removed for Bloodfiend NPC spawns near existing shrines |
| Crown Store bites | Removed entirely |
| Crown Store cures | Now 0 Crowns |
| In-game cure cost | Reduced (gold) |
| Cure NPCs | Added to more Mages Guilds |
New ESO Werewolf Shrine Locations
Three new Werewolf shrines were added in Update 49, one in each alliance's starting zone. These shrines have dedicated map icons once discovered. The original shrines in Bangkorai, The Rift and Reaper's March can still be used normally.
| Alliance | Zone | Werewolf Shrine |
| Aldmeri Dominion | Auridon | View on map |
| Daggerfall Covenant | Glenumbra | View on map |
| Ebonheart Pact | Stonefalls | View on map |
Auridon Werewolf Shrine
The Werewolf Shrine is located on the North-West coast of Auridon, a little west of Greenwater Wayshrine. Firralthel is here to start Hircine's Gift and players can bite each other. View on map
Glenumbra Werewolf Shrine
The Werewolf shrine is located on the North-East coast of Glenumbra just north of Hag Fen Wayshrine. Firralthel can grant you the lycantrophy curse and players can bite you here. View on map
Stonefalls Werewolf Shrine
The Werewolf Shrine is located on the middle of the map, just east of Sulfur Pools Wayshrine. Same setup as the others: Firralthel at the shrine, player bites supported, map icon visible once discovered. View on map
Old Werewolf Shrine Locations
The old Shrines where you complete your quest can be found in the following zones:
- Bangkorai (View on Map)
- The Rift (View on Map)
- Reaper's March (View on Map)
How to Become a Werewolf in ESO
There are three ways to get infected with Lycanthropy in ESO. All three work in Update 49
NPC Quest Giver (Recommended)
The easiest method as of Update 49. Travel to any new shrine in Auridon, Glenumbra or Stonefalls and speak to Firralthel to pick up Hircine's Gift quest directly. No player bite needed.
- Travel to a new shrine in Auridon, Glenumbra or Stonefalls
- Speak to Firralthel to pick up Hircine's Gift
- Follow the quest to the original shrine location and complete it
- You're now a Werewolf
A free Quest Starter is also available in the Crown Store for first-time players if you'd rather begin from there.
The quest takes about 10-15 minutes. You enter a solo instance in Hircine's Hunting Grounds, get an unlimited Werewolf transformation, hunt down a large beast as tribute and howl for your pack. The enemies inside are not difficult and the quest is completable at any level with any gear.
A free Quest Starter is also available in the Crown Store for players who have never completed the Werewolf quest before. This option only appears if you haven't done it on any character.
Player Bite in ESO
Player bites still work and are available at both old and new shrines.
-
The biting player needs the
Bloodmoon passive unlocked in their Werewolf skill line
- The bite must be performed at a shrine location
-
Bloodmoon has a one-week cooldown per character
- Once bitten, you'll receive the Sanies Lupinus debuff in your character sheet under Active Effects
- Pick up Hircine's Gift from a nearby Wayshrine to start the quest
Asking in zone chat near the shrine zones still works and many players will do it for free.
Werewolf NPC Bite in ESO
Special Werewolf NPCs spawn in Bangkorai, The Rift and Reaper's March during a full moon.
- These NPCs are no longer limited to specific spawn windows
- Regular werewolf enemies in the world cannot infect you. Only the special Werewolf NPCs near the shrines can.
- Infection is not guaranteed on the first hit. You may need to take multiple hits before contracting Sanies Lupinus.
- Once infected, pick up Hircine's Gift from the Werewolf Shrine to begin the quest
Returning Players: Instant ESO Werewolf Re-Acquisition
If you've completed Hircine's Gift before and cured yourself since, you don't need to repeat the quest. Speak to Firralthel at any of the new shrines and you can regain the Werewolf skill line immediately.
When you re-acquire Lycanthropy:
- Skill line XP is preserved. You won't need to re-level the skill line.
- Morph choices are preserved.
- Skill points previously invested are refunded at cure and need to be re-allocated into abilities. As of Update 49, respeccing is free and can be done directly in the Skills UI.
- You can also use the Armory system to swap between a Werewolf build and a non-Werewolf build. The Armory handles affliction state and skill point allocation automatically.
How to Cure Lycanthropy in ESO
Speak to Prelate Sabinus to cure Lycanthropy. He's found in Mages Guildhalls and religious sites across Tamriel.
- "Buy" a free instant Cure from the Crown Store (0 Crowns)
- Talk to Prelate Sabinus in any Mages Guild Hall and pay 69 gold to cure Lycantrophy
Where to Cure Lycanthropy in ESO
- Grahtwood Elden Root: Rededication Shrine
- Reaper's March Rawl'kha: Mages Guild (below the building)
- Stormhaven Wayrest: Rededication Shrine
- Bangkorai Evermore: Mages Guild (inside, close to the mirror)
- Deshaan Mournhold: Rededication Shrine
- The Rift Riften: Mages Guild (inside 1st floor)
- Vvardenfell Vivec City: Temple Canton
- Summerset Alinor: Temple of the Divines
- Northern Elsweyr Rimmen: Shrine of the Cat's Divine
- Western Skyrim Solitude: Hall of the Dead
- Blackwood Leyawiin: Great Chapel of Zenithar
- High Isle and Amenos Gonfalon Bay: Temple of the Winds
- Telvanni Peninsula Necrom: Outlaws Refuge
- Base Game zone Mages Guilds. (Added in Update 49)
You can't be both a Vampire and a Werewolf at the same time. Cure your current affliction before pursuing the other. For the full Vampire process, see the Becoming a Vampire guide.
ESO Werewolf Transformation and Combat
The Werewolf Transformation is an Ultimate ability that replaces your regular skill bars with the Werewolf skill bar. While transformed, you use Werewolf-specific abilities and cannot access your normal skills. You also cannot use crafting stations or go fishing while in beast form.
Transformation Cost and Duration
-
Activating the
Werewolf Transformation costs Ultimate. Your Werewolf form drains over time while active.
- At base, you have around 30 seconds before reverting to human form if you don't take any actions to extend it
-
Feeding on corpses using the
Devour ability is the primary way to stay transformed longer. Killing enemies also extends the timer.
-
Having the Werewolf Transformation Ultimate slotted on your bar increases your Stamina Recovery passively, even when you're not transformed. This means the Ultimate takes up a slot permanently if you want the passive benefit.
Appearance and Movement
- While transformed, your character model is replaced with the Werewolf model. Your equipped outfit is not visible.
-
The current model has three color variants depending on your morph choice: gray for the base Werewolf Transformation, black for the
Werewolf Berserker morph and white for the 
Pack Leader morph
- Werewolves run on all fours when sprinting, which gives a noticeable visual speed increase
Buffs and Vulnerabilities
- You retain buffs, passive skills from most other skill lines and the benefits of your equipped weapons and armor including weapon enchantments
- Active buffs with a duration (like Lightning Form) also persist through the transformation
- You are more vulnerable to Poison Damage while in beast form
-
Fighters Guild players with the
Skilled Tracker passive deal extra damage to you in PvP. In PvE this has no practical impact.
Criminal Acts
- Several Werewolf abilities are flagged as criminal acts in ESO
-
Using Werewolf Transformation,
Pounce, 
Hircine's Bounty, 
Roar, 
Piercing Howl and 
Infectious Claws near non-hostile NPCs in towns will generate a bounty
- Be mindful of where you transform, especially in cities
Hunter's Glade Home
-
There is no Werewolf equivalent to the Vampire's
Soul-Sworn Thrall furnishing for use in player homes
-
The Crown Store home
Hunter's Glade is set in Hircine's Hunting Grounds and lets you stay in Werewolf form permanently while inside
- It rotates back into the Crown Store periodically
ESO Werewolf Rework Coming in Update 50
A full Werewolf rework is confirmed for Update 50, arriving in June 2026 as part of Season Zero. This goes well beyond a visual refresh and includes combat changes, a new model and ability reworks. For a full breakdown of what was revealed, see the ESO Werewolf rework and pure build passives overview.
Confirmed changes from the March 2026 dev stream:
- New Werewolf model with higher-fidelity visuals, smaller hands and feet and more detailed fur using updated hair card technology. This only applies to player Werewolves. Monster werewolves in the world will keep the original model.
- Female Werewolf model being added to the game for free
- Fur color skill styles: The three fur colors (gray, black, white) are being converted into skill styles so you can pick any color on any morph. Morph visual differentiation will shift to VFX instead. All skill styles will be obtainable through in-game sourcing, not the Crown Store.
- New spammable ability: Piercing Howl is being replaced with Gnash, a melee bite attack with a two-part animation (bite in, rip out) that applies bleed damage with execute scaling
- Pounce/Carnage rework: Pounce will become distance-based. At range you leap to the target. In melee range you skip the leap and go directly into Carnage for the bleed. No more forced two-step sequence.
- Transformation cost rework: Transformation will cost 100 Ultimate to activate, then drain Ultimate over time (roughly every 10 seconds). Base duration stays around 30 seconds, but new mechanics help you stay transformed longer.
- Reduced cost out of combat for roleplaying, housing and casual use
- Magicka/Stamina agnostic scaling: Passives that previously only boosted Stamina are being reworked so both stat pools benefit. Active ability costs are also being reduced (exact numbers pending PTS patch notes).
- Morph identity split: Pack Leader leans toward tanking and taunting. Berserker leans toward damage and aggression.
The male model shown on the dev stream is marked as work in progress. The female model has not been shown yet. Expect full details in the Update 50 PTS patch notes.
Concept art for the black and white werewolf fur color skill styles
Old and new ESO werewolf models from front and back
