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- The Elder Scrolls Online
The Elder Scrolls Online
An online fantasy role-playing game where you quest with friends and join four-player dungeons and 12-player trials.
Online co-op for up to 12 players. Crossplay only between PC systems.
- 12 online
Where to buy
Playing together
- Online co-op12 players
- Local co-opNot confirmed
- YesOnly between PC systemsFriends on different platforms, such as PC and PlayStation, can play together.
- Not confirmedA friend can join or leave while you are already playing, without starting over.
- Not confirmedFriends play free with a Friend's Pass or similar.
- Steam DeckVerifiedValve's own rating
About the game
You play a character in Tamriel, the setting of the Elder Scrolls series. Most of your time goes on quests with voiced characters and side stories, plus crafting, exploring and furnishing a house. Your character grows with each level, and new dungeons open up along the way.
The world works alone or with friends. Public dungeons, group bosses and wave events are easier with a partner. Group dungeons are built for four players and trials for twelve. When you queue, you pick tank, healer or damage dealer. Trials are among the hardest content, and veteran mode makes them harder.
You can quest on your own and meet up for the big fights, or run everything side by side. It suits friends who want one long game to keep coming back to.
How it feels
Kind of game
You play on the same side through shared levels, matches, missions or jobs. Progress comes from combining your actions toward the same objective.
- At its heart
- A big part
- Now and then
- Building and creating
- Sessions
- Ongoing world
- About
- Fantasy adventure
Rated on our own feel scale. 3 sources back these ratings.
Screenshots
From the Steam store page. Open one to see it full size.
If you liked The Elder Scrolls Online
You will probably enjoy these too. Each one says why.
FINAL FANTASY XIV Online
Why it scores 94%
What they share
- Kind of game
- Shared team objectives
- Core to both
- Story, Unlocks and progress
- About
- Fantasy adventure
- Notable in both
- Calm and coziness, Time to hang out, Working in sync, Exploring, Tension and danger, Planning ahead, Getting better, Fighting
- Sessions
- Ongoing world
- Co-op
- Online co-op
- 72 online
- Crossplay
Both give your team shared objectives to work through together. Both have a story you follow together. Both are about a fantasy adventure.
No big difference from The Elder Scrolls Online.
Guild Wars 2
Why it scores 92%
What they share
- Kind of game
- Shared team objectives
- About
- Fantasy adventure
- Notable in both
- Story, Calm and coziness, Time to hang out, Working in sync, Exploring, Tension and danger, Planning ahead, Getting better, Fighting
- Core to both
- Unlocks and progress
- Sessions
- Ongoing world
- Co-op
- Online co-op
- Online
Both give your team shared objectives to work through together. Both have long calm stretches. Both are about a fantasy adventure.
No big difference from The Elder Scrolls Online.
Star Wars: The Old Republic
Why it scores 90%
What they share
- Kind of game
- Shared team objectives
- Core to both
- Story, Unlocks and progress
- Notable in both
- Calm and coziness, Time to hang out, Working in sync, Exploring, Tension and danger, Planning ahead, Getting better, Fighting
- Sessions
- Ongoing world
- Co-op
- Online co-op
- 16 online
Both give your team shared objectives to work through together. Both are easy to play while you chat. Both have a story you follow together.
No big difference from The Elder Scrolls Online.
All co-op facts
Last checked 28 October 2026. The small numbers link to the page that states each fact.
Co-op
- Fewest players online
- Not confirmed
- Local co-op
- Not confirmed
- Most players on one screen
- Not confirmed
- Split or shared screen
- Not confirmed
- Separate-device co-op
- Not confirmed
- Most players on separate devices
- Not confirmed
- Free base co-op
- No
Steam sells the base game for $19.99 and the data says it is not free. The PlayStation and Xbox pages sell it too. Game Pass access, trials and temporary free play do not count.
- 21213
- Confirmed free setups
- Does not apply
- Friends can join mid-game
- Not confirmed
- Only one of you needs to buy it
- Not confirmed
- Voice chat by distance
- Not confirmed
Sources
14 pages
store.steampowered.comStore page, read 28 October 2026
Backs Online co-op, Release date, About, Sessions, Story, Exploring, Fighting.
- Online co-op: Features list Online Co-op, beside MMO and Online PvP.
- Release date: The page shows 4 Apr 2014. The Steam data feed shows 22 May 2017, the day the game reached Steam. The maker's own post and Wikidata agree with 2014.
- About: The store text calls it an online fantasy role-playing game in the Elder Scrolls world.
- Sessions: The text talks about an ever-growing world to explore with friends or solo, and user tags include MMORPG and Open World.
- Story: User tags include Story Rich, Lore-Rich and Choose Your Own Adventure.
- Exploring: User tags include Exploration and Open World.
- Fighting: User tags include Action RPG and PvE.
store.steampowered.comStore data, read 28 October 2026
Backs Steam app ID, Online co-op, Platforms, Release status, Free base co-op.
- Online co-op: Categories include Co-op and Online Co-op.
- Platforms: Backs windows and macos. Steam lists no Linux build.
- Release status: Steam lists the game as available to play, with no early access label.
- Free base co-op: Steam sells the base game for $19.99 and the data says it is not free. The PlayStation and Xbox pages sell it too. Game Pass access, trials and temporary free play do not count.
store.steampowered.comStore data, read 28 October 2026
Backs Steam Deck.
- Steam Deck: Valve rates the game Verified on Steam Deck.
wikidata.orgWikidata, read 28 October 2026
Backs Wikidata item, Genres, Release date.
- Genres: P136 is massively multiplayer online role-playing game and fantasy video game.
- Release date: P577 is 2014-04-04.
bethesda.netOfficial news, read 28 October 2026
Backs Online co-op, Most players online, Kind of game, Tension and danger, Calm and coziness, Working in sync, Story, Exploring, Building and creating, Fighting, Time to hang out, Unlocks and progress, Planning ahead.
- Online co-op: The post lists public dungeons, group bosses, group dungeons and trials as group content.
- Most players online: Post of 2018-05-23 says group dungeons are made for four-player teams and trials for 12 players.
- Kind of game: Group play is built around role-based teams for dungeons and trials. The post also says the whole game works solo.
- Tension and danger: Public dungeons and group bosses are described as hordes of enemies and tough bosses.
- Calm and coziness: The post lists crafting, decorating a house and wandering the world as things to do outside fights.
- Working in sync: The dungeon queue asks you to pick damage dealer, healer or tank.
- Story: The post describes a main quest across Tamriel, guild quests and many fully voiced side quests.
- Exploring: The post says you can simply go out exploring the wide world.
- Building and creating: Players craft items and furniture and can furnish a house.
- Fighting: The post lists dungeons, group bosses and wave events as group fights.
- Time to hang out: The post lists text chat, voice chat on consoles, trading, dueling and guilds as ways to spend time with others.
- Unlocks and progress: Dungeons open up as your character levels, and guild quests unlock new abilities.
- Planning ahead: The post says each class has different builds, and group members pick a role.
help.elderscrollsonline.comOfficial support page, read 28 October 2026
Backs Most players online, Tension and danger, Getting better.
- Most players online: Says trials are made for a group of 12 players.
- Tension and danger: Calls trials some of the hardest challenges in the game.
- Getting better: Trials have a normal mode and a much harder veteran mode, and runs are timed and added to a weekly leaderboard.
help.elderscrollsonline.comOfficial support page, read 28 October 2026
Backs Most players online.
- Most players online: Says group dungeons are for a full group of 4 and trials for raid groups of 12.
help.elderscrollsonline.comOfficial support page, read 28 October 2026
Backs Online co-op.
- Online co-op: Groups form through the in-game Group and Activity Finder, which has categories such as Dungeon and Trial.
help.elderscrollsonline.comOfficial support page, read 28 October 2026
Backs Crossplay, Crossplay between.
- Crossplay: Says Windows and Mac players share one Megaserver and can play together. Xbox and PlayStation players each have a server of their own, so they only meet players on their own platform. The page has no date.
- Crossplay between: Windows and Mac are the one confirmed pool. Xbox and PlayStation are separate pools.
tech.yahoo.comPress, read 28 October 2026
Backs Crossplay.
- Crossplay: Windows Central report of 2026-01-07 says an executive producer confirmed cross-play work is under way, with no date. That means play between consoles and PC is not shipped.
toomuchgaming.netPress, read 28 October 2026
Backs Crossplay.
- Crossplay: Report dated April 1 says the makers confirmed the cross-play work will not arrive in 2026.
xbox.comStore page, read 28 October 2026
Backs Online co-op, Most players online, Platforms, Free base co-op.
- Online co-op: Capabilities list Online co-op.
- Most players online: Lists online co-op for 2 to 12 players. It also lists online multiplayer for 2 to 200 and the PlayStation page says up to 99, which are separate labels from co-op.
- Platforms: Covers Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. The page also lists PC and cloud play.
- Free base co-op: The Standard Edition is sold from $19.99. Game Pass access is a subscription and does not count.
store.playstation.comStore page, read 28 October 2026
Backs Platforms, Free base co-op.
- Platforms: The page shows PS4 and PS5.
- Free base co-op: The Standard Edition has a $19.99 list price.
bethesda.netOfficial news, read 28 October 2026
Backs Release date.
- Release date: Post of 2016-04-04 calls that day the two-year anniversary of the launch on PC and Mac, which backs 4 April 2014.