During the 2025 ESO Direct presentation, ZeniMax Online Studios revealed this year’s major content update for The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO), titled Seasons of the Worm Cult. Set on the newly introduced island of Solstice, this two-part narrative aims to bring players back to the storyline roots of the base game and hopes to mark a shift in how new content will be delivered in the coming years.
The main feature of the 2025 content rollout, Seasons of the Worm Cult is a two-part adventure set on Solstice, a zone divided by the enigmatic Writhing Wall. The story continues threads introduced in the base game of ESO but is designed to be accessible to all players, regardless of their progress in the original storyline. Part 1 of Seasons of the Worm Cult will launch on 2 June 2025 for PC/Mac, and on 18 June 2025 for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5. Part 2 will follow later in the year.
The development team has also announced that ESO will no longer follow the traditional annual Chapter release format. Instead, this change is designed to offer greater flexibility, allowing the team to experiment more freely and diversify the content available to players. To support this new approach, ZeniMax also introduced the 2025 Content Pass, a new way for players to access the year’s major releases.
This pass includes:
- Access to Seasons of the Worm Cult Parts 1 and 2
- Two dungeon packs: Fallen Banners (available now) and Feast of Shadows (coming Spring 2025). Each pack contains two four-player dungeons with their own unique narratives, gameplay challenges, and in-game rewards.
- Participation in the Writhing Wall in-game event. The Writhing Wall, a colossal magical barrier erected by the Worm Cult, splits the island of Solstice in two. Later in the year, the wall will serve as the focal point of a large-scale collaborative event where players must unite to breach the barrier, paving the way for the second half of the saga.
Launching alongside Seasons of the Worm Cult Part 1 is Update 46, a base-game patch free to all ESO players. This update introduces:
- Subclassing – Players can now replace up to two of their character’s three class Skill Lines with options from other classes, allowing for deeper character customisation and hybrid playstyles.
- Hero’s Return – A system designed to welcome back returning players, guiding them through a refresher experience and awarding helpful in-game rewards.
