The Elder Scrolls Online is set to enhance its offerings as previously paid DLC, including the Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild, will soon become part of the base game entirely free of charge.
Starting in March with Update 49, players will gain access to the Dark Brotherhood, Thieves Guild, Imperial City, and Orsinium DLC without any additional cost. Furthermore, by the end of 2026, the Greymoor chapter will also join the free roster.
Currently, to access this content, players must subscribe to the optional ESO Plus membership, priced at around $15 per month, or buy the DLC separately using the in-game currency, Crowns.
The Orsinium DLC, introduced in 2015, transports players to the orc homeland and new dungeons for 3,000 Crowns (about $25). The Imperial City DLC, also from 2015, costs 2,500 Crowns (roughly $20) and allows players to revisit a key location from Oblivion while battling against Molag Bal's daedric forces. Additionally, both the Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild DLC, released in 2016, were priced at 2,000 Crowns each, equivalent to approximately $20.
Joining the Dark Brotherhood offers players the opportunity to partake in the clandestine assassins' lifestyle, complete with new passive skills for NPC elimination. The Thieves Guild allows players to enhance their stealth and stealing abilities, providing greater returns on stolen goods and access to hidden treasure troves throughout Tamriel.
Greymoor, hailed as the most significant addition, originally debuted in 2020 and introduces players to the western regions of Skyrim, where they will confront an ancient vampire lord. This chapter will become free during the winter of 2026.
This exciting shift toward free content was announced during a recent ESO 2026 roadmap livestream, where ZeniMax Online Studios outlined upcoming plans for the MMORPG, including a new seasonal focus, a battle pass system, and class reworks. The game is transitioning to a seasonal model following a quiet 2025, which only featured the experimental season titled Seasons of the Worm Cult.
In addition to making DLC free, ZeniMax has also confirmed plans to bring cross-play functionality to ESO in the near future, although it may take some time before players on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation can enjoy this feature together.
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