This guide is free, at least.
Is the Elder Scrolls Online free-to-play? This is a question that gets bandied around from time to time when players are eager to try the game out without having to fork over their hard-earned cash.
The question makes sense as many of the MMORPG’s competitors have gone free-to-play in recent years. Fortunately, there is a way to play Bethesda’s Elder Scrolls massively multiplayer online role-playing game for free but, unfortunately, the opportunity is rare to come by.
With the newly-announced Necrom expansion getting people excited for ESO again, too, many have been wondering if you might be able to get into the game and play it for free as part of a trial run, at least.
If you’re keen to try out ESO without paying for it, read on to discover how to play The Elder Scrolls Online for free and whether or not it is a free-to-play game.
Is The Elder Scrolls Online a free-to-play game?
The Elder Scrolls Online is not a free-to-play game. Unlike some other MMOs, however, you do not need to purchase a subscription to play it. Buy yourself a copy (it’s often on sale on Steam) and you can play the game indefinitely. You won’t be limited to a level cap or anything like that, either.
A subscription does exist for ESO (£8.99 on Steam), but it’s entirely optional. The Plus subscription will bag you rewards such as increased experience points, bonus gold, and a monthly allocation of 1,650 Crowns. Being an ESO Plus subscriber will earn you full access to all of the game’s DLC packs in the Crown Store apart from the 2022 High Isle Chapter, too.
The Base game is included as part of Xbox Game Pass on consoles, so playing it there will feel free, even if you are paying £10.99 a month for your Ultimate subscription.
So there you have it. The Elder Scrolls Online isn’t a free-to-play game. It can be played for free though… sometimes.
How to play The Elder Scrolls Online for free
To play The Elder Scrolls Online for free, you will need to make use of free-play weeks, weekends, and events. Every now and then, Bethesda treats everyone to a limited-time free-to-play weekend or week in ESO.
Timed free-play events will always be announced before they happen and details will be given by the developer concerning start times and end dates. It’s probably best to follow The Elder Scrolls Online social accounts, such as the official Twitter account, to keep up-to-date with any free-play event announcements.
When is the next Elder Scrolls Online free-play weekend or week?
Currently, there is no free-play weekend or week scheduled in The Elder Scrolls Online. The last one took place in August 2022 during QuakeCon and before that, there was one in April 2022.
Based on the timing of previous free-play events in ESO, we’re expecting one to happen next in March or April 2023. If not, there’s sure to be a free-play weekend or week taking place during QuakeCon 2023 in August. There has been a free-to-play limited-time event during the last few QuakeCons and we can see that continuing.
We’ll update this page when the next free-play event goes live in The Elder Scrolls Online. For now, though, Xbox players can play all of the game’s chapters and more than 20 DLCs for free, as long as they own a copy of the base game and subscribe to ESO Plus (detailed above). There is currently no word on how long this limited-time offer will last.
Hungry for more gaming? Visit our video game release schedule, or swing by our hubs for more Gaming and Technology news.
Looking for something to watch? Check out our TV Guide or Streaming Guide.
Try Radio Times magazine today and get 12 issues for only £1 with delivery to your home — subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times View From My Sofa podcast.