ESO Chronological Timeline Guide - Best Way to Play the Story

Q: Why should I play ESO in chronological order?

Playing chronologically allows you to:Experience the story as it unfolds: Understand character motivations, plot developments, and the build-up to major events more clearly.Avoid spoilers: Content released later sometimes contains references or direct spoilers for earlier storylines. Playing in order prevents these.Enhance immersion: Feel more connected to the world and its history as you progress through its timeline.Appreciate the full narrative arc: See how smaller stories contribute to the grand saga of Tamriel.

Q: Is this guide for new players or veteran players?

New players can use it from the very beginning to ensure they follow the story correctly.Veteran players who may have played content out of order can use it to replay or catch up on missed chronological pieces, or simply to plan their next playthrough for a more cohesive experience.

Q: Do I need to own all expansions and DLCs to follow this guide?

To experience the entire chronological story, yes, you will eventually need access to all relevant chapters and story DLCs. However, the guide will clearly delineate which content belongs to which part of the timeline, so you can progress as far as your owned content allows. ESO Plus subscription grants access to most DLCs, which is a great way to follow the guide without buying each one individually.

Q: Will following this guide prevent me from playing with friends or doing other content?

Not at all! This guide focuses on the story content. You are still free to engage in any other aspects of ESO you enjoy, such as PvP, dungeons, trials, crafting, housing, or overland exploration with friends, regardless of where you are in the chronological story. The guide simply provides a recommended order for questing.

Q: Does this guide cover every single quest in the game?

No, this guide focuses on the main storyline arcs and significant side quests that contribute to the overarching narrative or introduce major characters/factions. It does not aim to list every single daily quest, repeatable quest, or minor side quest that doesn't directly impact the main timeline. We do also have a daily quest guide you can take a look at!

Welcome to the Chronological Timeline Guide for ESO! If you ever wanted to know how to play ESO in chronological order, you can find the information here!

26 Chapters

Welcome to the Chronological Timeline Guide for ESO (Elder Scrolls Online). Here you will find all the information you need to know in order to play ESO in a chronological order. Since the One Tamriel update in 2016, players can now explore the game in whichever way they like, but some players would also enjoy playing the game in chronological order. The game doesn’t necessarily teach you this and leaves you all the options to enjoy it whichever way you like.

Remember that at any point you can decide you no longer want to follow this Chronological Timeline Guide for ESO and switch it up, or explore Tamriel with your friends. You are at no time bound to this and if you decide that you want to explore new things, you always can.

Also, you do not always have to travel to a specific location in order to start a quest, or a DLC quest. You can also get them from your Collection tab, but we suggest you try to find the NPC, as this has a bigger immersion factor.

Also, be sure to check out our Coming Back Guide, which lists everything each ESO Update has added to the game.

Useful Tips for Adventuring

In order to focus on your journey and in order to not get confused or side-tracked, here's a couple of useful tips which will help you in being more efficient in your chronological journey through Tamriel.

Sign up with Mages Guild , Fighters Guild and Undaunted as soon as possible. You can do so as early as when you leave the tutorial.
If you own Blackwood or High Isle recruit a companion to help you in combat. Here's a helpful guide on companions !
If you own Greymoor go to the Antiquarian Circle in Solitude to unlock Scrying .
Do NOT buy Vampire, Werewolf (or the Cure) from the Crown Store. We have a useful guide on how to get Vampire Bite and Werewolf Bite here!
When you reach level 10 you can go to Cyrodiil and get your introduction quest. This will help you later down the line when you decide to go to the Imperial City.
Do NOT accept Prologue quests in cities or towns, except for the Main Story Quest!
The best thing you can purchase for guild are bag and bank upgrades.
If you loose track of your Zone Main Quests, open your map and browse to Zone Guide.
As soon as you get your first mount, go to the stable and train it daily. Invest in Speed first, then Bag Space and then Stamina.
Food or Drinks help you with questing and not going down so easily. Also having a Mundus Stone helps!

Aldmeri Dominion	Zone
1	Kenarthi's Roost
2	Auridon
3	Grahtwood
4	Greenshade
5	Malabal Tor
6	Reaper's March

Ebonheart Pact	Zone
1	Bleakrock Island & Bal Foyen
2	Stonefalls
3	Deshaan
4	Shadowfen
5	Eastmarch
6	The Rift

Daggerfall Covenant	Zone
1a & 1b	Stros M'Kai and Betnikh
2	Glenumbra
3	Stormhaven
4	Rivenspire
5	Alik'r Desert
6	Bangkorai

Number	DLC	Zone
X	Base Game	Coldharbour
7	Base Game	Craglorn
8	Base Game	Imperial City
9	Orsinium	Wrothgar
10	Thieves Guild	Hew's Bane
11	Dark Brotherhood	Gold Coast
12	Morrowind	Vvardenfell
13	Clockwork City	Clockwork City
14	Summerset	Summerset
15	Murkmire	Murkmire
16	Elsweyr	Nothern Elsweyr
17	Dragonhold	Southern Elsweyr
18	Greymoor	Western Skyrim & Blackreach
19	Markarth	The Reach & Blackreach
20	Blackwood	Blackwood
21	Deadlands	Deadlands
22	High Isle	High Isle & Amenos
23	Necrom	Apocrypha & Telvanni Peninsula

You can also pick up Zone DLC and Chapter story quests from your Collections tab in stories. Oftentimes it isn't necessary, sometimes it's a bit hard finding the NPC in the game, which is why you might pick it up directly from the tab.

Achievements related to this guide

3 Achievements

Soul Shriven Style Master	Learn the Soul Shriven style book, found by completing Cadwell's Silver.
Soul Shriven in Coldharbour	Complete Main Quest Chapter 1.
The Harborage	Complete Main Quest Chapter 1.5.

Nara

Edenprime

Determined to write guides and articles that are easy to read and understand | ESO-HUB and AlcastHQ Content Writer | Playing ESO since Beta | Content Creator | Guildmaster of Dragonborn Inc

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions from other players

What is the purpose of this Chronological Timeline Guide?

This guide is designed to help players experience the vast story of The Elder Scrolls Online in its intended chronological order. ESO has many chapters, DLCs, and zones, and it can be confusing to know where to start or what comes next in terms of the overarching narrative. This guide provides a clear path to follow.

Why should I play ESO in chronological order?

Playing chronologically allows you to:

Experience the story as it unfolds: Understand character motivations, plot developments, and the build-up to major events more clearly.
Avoid spoilers: Content released later sometimes contains references or direct spoilers for earlier storylines. Playing in order prevents these.
Enhance immersion: Feel more connected to the world and its history as you progress through its timeline.
Appreciate the full narrative arc: See how smaller stories contribute to the grand saga of Tamriel.

Is this guide for new players or veteran players?

New players can use it from the very beginning to ensure they follow the story correctly.
Veteran players who may have played content out of order can use it to replay or catch up on missed chronological pieces, or simply to plan their next playthrough for a more cohesive experience.

Do I need to own all expansions and DLCs to follow this guide?

To experience the entire chronological story, yes, you will eventually need access to all relevant chapters and story DLCs. However, the guide will clearly delineate which content belongs to which part of the timeline, so you can progress as far as your owned content allows. ESO Plus subscription grants access to most DLCs, which is a great way to follow the guide without buying each one individually.

Will following this guide prevent me from playing with friends or doing other content?

Not at all! This guide focuses on the story content. You are still free to engage in any other aspects of ESO you enjoy, such as PvP, dungeons, trials, crafting, housing, or overland exploration with friends, regardless of where you are in the chronological story. The guide simply provides a recommended order for questing.

How frequently will this guide be updated?

This guide will be updated with each major story release (new chapters, DLCs that add significant story content) to ensure it remains current and accurate with the evolving timeline of ESO.

What if I've already played some content out of order? Can I still use this guide?

Absolutely! You can jump into the guide at the point corresponding to the earliest story content you haven't completed yet, or simply use it as a reference to see what you've missed and prioritize future playthroughs. It's never too late to start playing chronologically!

Does this guide cover every single quest in the game?

No, this guide focuses on the main storyline arcs and significant side quests that contribute to the overarching narrative or introduce major characters/factions. It does not aim to list every single daily quest, repeatable quest, or minor side quest that doesn't directly impact the main timeline. We do also have a daily quest guide you can take a look at!