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First Descendant
Writhing Fortress served as the grand finale of the long-running Writhing Wall Event in ESO, moving Solstice's main story from Season of the Worm Cult Part 1 to Part 2 and permanently unlocking Eastern Solstice for all players.
Despite widely reported technical issues at launch, the core concept and experience of the Writhing Fortress delivered on its promise of large-scale cooperative PvE combat, earning praise that caused many initial frustrations to flip to genuine enthusiasm.
Bugs Fixed: ZOS Addressed Critical Issues
In response to some technical failures in the Writhing Fortress, ZOS pushed hotfixes and added some extra goodies into the Daily Login Reward Calendar. This communication from the game director Nick Giacomini and the direct action helped validate the positive shift in player opinion:
- 8,000 Seals of Endeavor have been added as the Day 1 Login Reward for December as a thank you for players patience.
- Zysax Fix: The flying phases of the Titan boss Zysax was removed to prevent the encounter from bugging out and becoming uncompletable.
- Progression: Issues with Walks-In-Ash and the Infernium getting stuck were resolved.
- Quest Completion: The bug preventing the NPC Skordo from consistently appearing for the final quest turn-in was fixed, allowing players to properly finish "Support the Fellowship."
The Answer is Yes: An Epic "Public Trial" Success
The single most celebrated aspect of the Writhing Fortress was its massive scale involving large groups of players. This final phase felt less like a traditional public dungeon and more like a unique "public trial" proving the underlying idea was a success.
- Massive Siege Feeling: Fighting alongside dozens of players created an exciting and chaotic sense of camaraderie, making the event feel like an actual offensive in a battle.
- Community Collaboration: Players loved banding together to work on the same objectives, satisfying requests for large-scale, "horde mode" PvE content.
Engaging Mechanics and Innovative Design
The Fortress introduced unique mechanics that required active player involvement and differentiated it from previous content.
- Cooperative Layout: The assault required the group to split to advance through different challenges before meeting up at the for the final boss.
- Siege Weaponry: Players enjoyed the incorporation of ballistas not only for damaging the bosses but also for destroying pylons and breaking the wards on the Harvester boss fight.
- Actually have to participate: The mechanics required players to participate in ways beyond standard damage rotations, such as using grappling hooks to move between platforms and using protection orbs to survive the Azure Plasm.
Atmosphere and Future Potential
The Fortress's atmosphere and perceived potential solidified its status as a conceptual success, changing initial frustration into hope for the future of The Elder Scrolls Online.
- High Aesthetic Quality: The Art and Level Design teams were credited for doing a great job. The atmosphere and visual look of the Fortress was
- Brilliant Proof of Concept: Many players felt the concept was absolutely brilliant and represented something new and truly different for the game.
- Confirmed Return: Due to overwhelming positive feedback on the concept, the game director Nick Giacomini confirmed that the Writhing Fortress will return in early 2026 after additional fixes.
In summary: ESO Writhing Wall Phase 3 delivered the spectacle and chaotic fun that was promised, leaving the community enthusiastically waiting for its return.
