[Another Update: First Screenshot] Announcement: The Elder Scrolls Online

We don’t have too many details beyond the name just yet, but that’s probably enough to get all your nickers in a twist, in a good way.

The official announcement is that TES:O will be Game Informer’s cover story for June. The scant details include: Zenimax Online Studios is the developer. The time period is 100 years before the events in Skyrim, and the daedric prince Molag Bal is trying to suck the world of Tamriel into his realm. Game director Matt Firor is quoted as saying the MMO has been in development for “several years.” Firor worked on Dark Age of Camelot which was a great game in its day, so that’s exciting news. The release window is only stated as 2013, but expect more details soon.

I’ll keep this post updated as new media and information comes out. Tomorrow morning (May 4th) we’ll get a look at the first TES:O trailer, and later in the day we can expect some screenshots. Game Informer is running this through their usual hub system, you can find the (lovely) TES:O hub right here

Source: Game Informer

[Update 5/4 AM: Announcement trailer just went live, check it out here.]

-Dret0U

No new information here. Just the basic stuff that you hear about any MMO, “The world is in peril,” “Heroes must band together,” and jazz like that. It sure is pretty though, with a very, very epic soundtrack.

Keep an eye on BSR, I’ll be back once we get the first screenshots set for release later today.

[Update 5/4 PAM: Screenshot and a few more details.]

Let’s start with the screenshot GameInformer just threw up:

We’ve got a couple storm atronachs, a fighter with a shield and some kind of mage. The world looks pretty, but we wouldn’t expect anything less from the Elder Scrolls brand. It’s hard to tell what’s going on with that warriors face, but it seems to indicate full facial animation for the characters. GameInformer also revealed that the world of TES:O will include the entirety of Tamirel, quote:

As players travel through Skyrim, Morrowind, Cyrodiil, and the rest of Tamriel they will encounter various dwarven ruins, ancient nordic tombs, decayed dwemer buildings, and many other ancient locales, some of which players may have discovered in previous Elder Scrolls games.

Exciting stuff!