Does Elder Scrolls Online require a subscription to play?

Developed by ZeniMax Online Studios, Elder Scrolls Online was first released in 2014. After three years of its first release, six regional expansions of ESO have been out every year, with the latest being The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom on June 5, 2023. The most frequent question among players is, "Is there a need for payment to play Elder Scrolls Online?"

The game offers great PvP experience with competitive battles and battleground events. This article will explore whether Elder Scrolls Online requires a subscription to play.

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Is Elder Scrolls Online free-to-play?

ESO crown crates window (Image via ZeniMax Online Studios)

The straightforward answer to this question is No. You must purchase Elder Scrolls Online to play it. Although there is a base price for the game, you won't be required to spend money while playing it.

There has been an impending partnership between Epic Games and Elder Scrolls Online, and now, Fortnite players can acquire the game at no cost through the Epic Games Store. This offer will be available from July 20 to 27, 2023, at 11 am ET. After the offer ends, they will have to buy the game at its regular price.

Like all other MMORPGs, Elder Scrolls Online has many microtransactions, a general type of monetization for games of this genre. So, if you are a hardcore player who enjoys a competitive environment, you might get frustrated seeing other veteran players have better weapons, armor, and other stuff that can be bought by paying a certain amount.

The most annoying part about playing the game for free is the limited space in your inventory. Those who have paid money to buy the Elder Scrolls Online Plus will have extended Inventory slots and, therefore, can carry more items.

ESO featured window (Image via ZeniMax Online Studios)

Sometimes you may feel that many full-priced games are cheaper than the amount you must pay for ESO, including all microtransactions.

You will notice that many items will come in a bundle, and you may not acquire all of them at once. There are chests with high quantities of loot that players can buy. You may need to purchase the items with high attributes, giving you greater buffs.

However, the inventory space is a hindrance only if you are not crafting items. Doing so will help you burn up your inventory slots easily and help you make money. For casual gaming, you may not require any subscription whatsoever. The game can still be fun without spending any extra money.

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Elder Scrolls Online (Image via ZeniMax Online Studios)

Elder Scrolls Online boasts a great PvP system that caters to different playstyles and preferences, blending large-scale warfare and smaller encounters. You get a large map with small battlegrounds where you can fight multiple players across the server.

You can go on boundless adventures, engage in battles, crafting, and thievery and blend diverse equipment and abilities to get a unique gameplay approach.