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ZOS held their February developer stream this week, covering Season One content, new passive systems for pure class builds and a look at what's coming further down the road. Most features are still in development, but this gives a clear direction for Update 50 and beyond.
Related: Season 1 - Sages Vault - Classes - Subclassing
Season One: What ZOS Has Confirmed So Far
Season One isn't getting specifics just yet. ZOS outlined the systems and content types it will include:
| System / Feature | What It Is |
| Favors | Repeatable content with a narrative focus, taking players across existing zones |
| Rumors | A new system distinct from quests. Hidden around the world, less guided than standard quest design |
| Sage's Vault | Entirely new, with repeatable content and stories (highly experimental). |
| Main Questline | A new main story involving Sheogorath, spanning multiple zones across Tamriel |
| Zone Additions | New locations added to existing zones rather than full new zone releases |
| Thieves Guild Part 2 | A sequel questline featuring Quen, setting up a new Thieves Guild chapter in an existing zone |
New full zones are still planned for the future and ZOS intends to keep advancing the main story timeline. They're also investigating a warning system to flag chronological story order without forcing players to follow it.
Class Mastery Skill Lines: A Buff for Pure Builds
This is the most significant mechanical announcement from the stream and the one with the most immediate implications for how you build your character.
Class Mastery skill lines are passive bonuses exclusive to pure class builds.
- If you're subclassing, you don't get access to them.
- Each class gets five passives covering different roles, you pick two to have active at a time, and they don't cost skill points.
- All classes get them simultaneously rather than one at a time as each class goes through its refresh. The target release is Update 50.
The goal is to close the gap between pure class and subclass builds without removing subclassing as an option.
Nightblade Class Mastery
- Critical motivation: Nocturnal watches over her children like a mother, pushing them to grow ever greater. Upgrades rank 2 of Hemorrhage to have a chance to generate 1 Ultimate. This effect can occur once every second and the chance is based off your Weapon Critical.
- Other passives: Share the spoils
Dragonknight Class Mastery
- Recursive flame: Your flames can never truly be extinguished, capable of birthing again from mere ember. When your Dragonknight damage over time effects end on a target, you apply Recursive Flame to them for 12 seconds. This effect stacks up to 12 times, dealing 5901 Flame Damage over the duration and increases by 25% per stack.
- Other passives: Unstoppable force, Booming voice
Warden Class Mastery
- Nature’s bounty: A bountiful harvest should be enjoyed by all. Upgrades rank 2 of Nature’s Gift to also restores 500 Magicka or 500 Stamina to your ally, whichever resource pool is lower.
- Other passives: Hypothermia, Wild adaptation, Glacial cold, Thick Hide
Necromancer Class Mastery
- Pound of flesh: When death knocks at the door demanding recompense, you collect. When you take damage you have a 1% chance to heal 2266 Health and restore 5% of your missing Stamina, up to once per second. This chance increases by 1% for every missing Health percent you have and the healing is based off your Max Health.
- Other passives: Nothing wasted, Cycle of death, Lord of the cycle
Arcanist Class Mastery
- Self perpetuated fate: You’ve taken being the master of your own fate literally, ensuring your thread never ends. Upgrades rank 2 of Implacable Outcome to generate maximum Crux, up to once every 15 seconds.
- Other passives: Abyssal pact, Fleshborne fate
Sorcerer Class Mastery
- Implosion: The way thunder follows lightning, so too do your blows echo and strike again. When you deal damage, you have a 1% chance for every 1% missing Health the target has to deal 2464 Shock Damage, up to once per attack.
- Other passives: Font of power, Conservation of energy
Templar Class Mastery
- Hold the line: In the light you find the will to stand your ground with unyielding zeal. While Sacred Ground is active, you gain a damage shield for 6 seconds, up to once every 6 seconds. The shield absorbs up to 4212 damage and provides 300 Health, Magicka, and Stamina Recovery while active. If the shield breaks, you gain 10 Ultimate.
- Other passives: Missionary of light
Full details on all passives per class are expected closer to Update 50.
Challenge Difficulty (Previously Overland Difficulty)
We got more information on the Challenge Difficulty that you can toggle on your character in overland content:
- Players will not be separated into different instances. Everyone will share the same world, even if they are on different difficulty levels.
- Separating players would conflict with ESOs design philosophy and would create significant server strain.
- Vestige difficulty is not tuned for solo play.
- More rewards and systems tied to this difficulty are planned, but details were not revealed.
ESO Challenge Difficulties:
- Adventurer: Default difficulty, no changes to damage or rewards
- Seasoned: Take 100% more damage, deal 20% less. Rewards +50% gold and +20% XP
- Master: Take 300% more damage, deal 50% less. Rewards +100% gold and +75% XP
- Vestige: Take 600% more damage, deal 80% less. Rewards +200% gold and +100% XP
Night Market Changes
The Night Market event is receiving tuning and UI updates based on player feedback.
- Enemy health and damage are being slightly reduced, but the event is still intended as group content.
- Shattered Paths Signet Mythic will not be locked behind the event. Alternative sources will be added once it ends.
The event runs from April 29 to June 17.
Class Refresh and Animation Improvements
The ongoing class refresh is designed with subclassing in mind. The intention is that you never feel forced into subclassing or punished for staying pure and that no single ultimate or skill becomes so dominant it's effectively mandatory.
Some refreshed skills may feel slower, but this is visual. The goal is clearer feedback and less visual clutter during combat.
Thanks for reading! Stay up to date with everything ESO in our News Overview Page.
