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The long-awaited results from the Vengeance campaign tests are finally in, revealing the truth about Cyrodiil's persistent performance issues. Following these extensive tests, Jessica Folsom provided a detailed community update on the Elder Scrolls Online Forums. The conclusion: high performance requires sacrificing deep character customization.
ESO's Next Vengeance test will start on December 3, 2025 and introduces Loadouts (pre-set builds for quick swapping).
Related article: Get Ready for ESO's Cyrodiil Champions Test (Vengeance)
The Vengeance Trade-Off: Smooth Combat for Stripped Skills
The initial Vengeance tests successfully achieved the set goals, recording the highest player count ever in Cyrodiil with the best overall game performance and lowest latency. The goals were to:
- Significantly increase the player cap (targeting the original capacity of 900 concurrent players).
- Reduce frustrating latency and game performance issues during large, sustained battles.
The developers conclusion from the tests is that only by utilizing lighter abilities, procs, and passives can a performant, large-scale PvP environment be maintained. The primary suspected cause of server stress was overall Ability complexity.
The Player Backlash
While players enjoyed the higher population and improved performance, the single biggest negative point consistently reported was the loss of unique class/character builds and customization.
Stop Feeding AP! Find Your next PvP Build on our Build Page Here!
The Cyrodiil Ultimatum: Two Realistic Paths Forward
Following the initial tests, the developers outlined two realistic paths forward, forcing players to choose between the current experience and high performance. It is not possible to have the unedited Grey Host character experience while simultaneously enjoying the higher population and reduced performance issues of Vengeance.
- Scenario 1 (ZOS Preferred): Open a permanent Vengeance campaign alongside the existing Gray Host campaign. This would allow players to choose between the high-performance, template-based mode and the traditional, full-build experience.
- Scenario 2 (Community Feared): Close all existing Cyrodiil campaigns and replace them entirely with one or two Vengeance ruleset campaigns.
The Mid-Sized Cyrodiil Solution
To accommodate players who prefer the Grey Host style of PvP, the developers are working on a mid-size PvP space. This new zone will be smaller than Cyrodiil but large enough for 3-sided keep warfare, and specifically designed to allow players to use all of their abilities, unique builds, and equipment.
See the Cyrodiil zone in Detail: Use Our Interactive Map to Find Every Keep, Skyshard, Dolmen, and Mundus Stone in Cyrodiil.
