The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood Expansion Announced, Next Gen Upgrades Coming For Free

Bethesda have dropped a tonne of information for The Elder Scrolls Online. This includes details on the next year of content, starting with the Blackwood expansion as well as PlayStation 5 & Xbox Series X|S versions of the game.

Releasing on the 1st June for PC & Mac & 8th June on consoles, The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood forms part of The Gates Of Oblivion story which is taking part throughout the year.

The adventure kicks off for all players in March 2021 with the Flames of Ambition DLC dungeon pack, which sets to reveal the threat of Mehrunes Dagon. After this, the Blackwood chapter comes into play and unlocks around 30 hours of gameplay before 2 more DLC content drops in the second half of the year.

Set more than 800 years before the events of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, players will explore a variety of locations in the Blackwood area, ranging from the city of Leyawiin and returning to Gideon and the deadlands.

Long before the Oblivion Crisis, the Longhouse Emperors made a deal with a devil – the Daedric Prince Mehrunes Dagon. ​That deal comes due and will lead you on a journey through the Deadlands. Returning characters Eveli Sharp-Arrow and Lyranth will support you in the fight against the Prince.

As is customary for the MMO, the game will include various side quests, new trails and portal events, as well as new content and quality of life improvements. Blackwood also introduces Companions who will adventure through Tamriel alongside the player.

For console players, if you chose to upgrade your system to the newest consoles, you’ll get a fully upgraded version of The Elder Scrolls Online for no extra cost. New features include a bump in resolution, reduced loading times and more stable frame rates.

These upgrades launch on the same day as the Blackwood chapter. Even if you don’t upgrade to the latest chapter, the rest of the game benefits from the next generation features.

There are three options for The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood. Firstly, the standard edition which features all of the content from Tamriel Unlimited (base game) as well as previous expansions; Greymoor, Elsweyr, Summerset, and Morrowind. Pre-order bonuses also unlocks the following:

• Nagahide Welwa Ravager Mount
• Nightmare Bear Cub Pet
• Dremora Kynreeve Outfit  
• Deadlands Wamasu Pet  
• 1× Iron Atronach Crate, including exclusive randomized loot 
• 3× Blackwood Treasure Maps  
• 2× Experience Scrolls, granting Double XP 

There is also a deluxe edition as which includes all of the extras above as well as:

• Battlefield Nightmare Senche Mount  
• Jewel-Feathered Sep Adder Pet
• Temperamental Grimoire Memento  
• Deadlands Gladiator Outfit Style
• Offer Weapon Emote 

An upgrade version featuring just the Blackwood expansion (and all of the collectors edition goodies) will also be available.

If you haven’t guessed by the packshots above, each edition will also be available on disc. A nice treat for physical game lovers!

The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood launches on PC/Mac on 1st June with the PlayStation 5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S & Xbox One versions following on 8th June.