Bethesda has now unveiled the new Gates of Oblivion year-long adventure for The Elder Scrolls Online, which is set 800 years before The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and has you working to “uncover the terrible schemes of Mehrunes Dagon, Daedric Prince of Destruction.” We also got a look at the major Blackwood expansion arriving on June 8th.
Gates of Oblivion actually kicks off with the Flames of Ambition DLC on March 16th, but that’s a smaller addition to the game, with two new PvE challenges: The Cauldron and Black Drake Villa. Bethesda says you’ll be attacking a shrine to the Prince of Destruction and racing “to uncover a mysterious tome before it is lost to fire and ash,” aided by Orsinium’s Eveli Sharp-Arrow and Dremora Lyrant. Flames of Ambition sets up the storyline for Blackwood — which is a much bigger expansion — and the whole Gates of Oblivion storyline.
Blackwood adds around 30 hours of new content and the new region of Blackwood itself, along with a new Companions system, the 12-player Rockgrove Trial, new Oblivion Portal world events, new delves, dungeons, world bosses, and “stand-alone” quests, and some quality-of-life updates. The Blackwood region includes Leyawiin, an Imperial City, as well as the Niben Forest and the Blackwood Bog. The main story has you investigating a conspiracy, as well as working to uncover the plans of Mehrunes Dagon. With the new Companions system, you can recruit an NPC as your ally — “complete with their own stories and character” — to come along and help you out.
If you pre-purchase Blackwood, you get the Nagahide Welwa Ravager mount and the Nightmare Bear Cub (the latter is only available if you pre-order before March 17th,) along with the Dremora Kynreeve Outfit, the Deadlands Wamasu Pet, one Iron Atronach Crate, three Blackwood Treasure Maps, and two Experience Scrolls. There are several editions available: The Elder Scrolls Online Collection: Blackwood for £59.99/$59.99, The Elder Scrolls Online Collection: Blackwood Collector’s Edition for £79.99/$79.99, The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood Upgrade for £33.49/$39.99, and The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood Upgrade Collector’s Edition for £44.99/$49.99. The two Collections include Blackwood, the base game, and every previous chapter, while the Upgrade editions just come with Blackwood.
