Cross-Alliance Grouping Coming To ‘The Elder Scrolls Online’ With Next DLC Release, Currently In Testing Now


Even with the megaservers available on the PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, there is quite a wait to find a group for dungeons, especially at lower levels in The Elder Scrolls Online. The game offers a handy Grouping Tool but the queue seems to be ignored or abandoned by players in the earlier levels when certain dungeons are meant to be completed. To help alleviate some of this frustration, The Elder Scrolls Online developers plan on letting players from each of the game’s three alliances group together via the Grouping Tool to complete dungeons. The updated feature is being tested right now on the public test server, and it will go live when the Orsinium DLC releases later this year.

The game’s developers announced the ability to group across alliances for dungeons in the Orsinium announcement on the official website. Not only would this speed up anyone’s queue that is using the Grouping Tool, it will also give players an opportunity to meet players they would otherwise only battle against. Considering there is no strict race-alliance restriction thanks to the Explorer’s Pack and Adventurer’s Pack, the ability to group across alliances to complete dungeons should not be that awkward.

The Elder Scrolls Online
Orsinium City in The Elder Scrolls Online

Cross-alliance grouping was previously mentioned at this year’s QuakeCon when the game’s DLC plans were confirmed to be quarterly. A brief summary of upcoming changes to The Elder Scrolls Online announced at the convention was posted to Reddit that included the cross-alliance grouping. It was also mentioned that the ability to group across alliances for dungeons could extend to other PvE facets of the game, but no confirmation or elaboration on that has been made since. However, cross-alliance grouping is possible on the public test server alongside other updates that will go live when the Orsinium DLC releases later this year. Be sure to check out the full list of upcoming changes by visiting the patch notes on the official forums.

Like the first DLC for The Elder Scrolls Online entitled Imperial City, the upcoming Orsinium DLC will have an ample price tag. As the Inquisitr reported, the Imperial City DLC costs 2,500 Crowns via the in-game store which ends up being around $20. Orsinium is planned to cost 3,000 Crowns which makes it $25. Unlike the first DLC, though, Orsinium promises a few more features like those mentioned above alongside crucial gameplay changes like the ability to group cross-alliance with the Grouping Tool.

The release of Orsinium for The Elder Scrolls Online is also massive enough to warrant a Collector’s Edition bundle of the DLC with a few extras. For 5,000 Crowns, players can pick up the Orsinium DLC Collector’s Bundle that includes the DLC itself, a Cave Bear mount, a Cave Bear Cub, and five experience scrolls. The mount and pet will be available to the player’s account letting all of a player’s characters access those beasts. Of course, players that subscribe to The Elder Scrolls Online will receive Orsinium for free so long as their subscription is active. Every month, subscribers also get a 1,500 Crown stipend; basically $15 worth or the cost of a one-month subscription.

The Elder Scrolls Online
A Malacath Statue in Orsinium

The upcoming Orsinium DLC is expected to add over 20 hours of story-driven gameplay to The Elder Scrolls Online as well as introduce players to the Wrothgar area. It includes a single-player arena challenge with special rewards, new public dungeons, new recipes, and new gear. Orsinium will also bring controller support to the PC version of the game, add shield dyeing, improve drop rates, and much more.

As mentioned, quarterly DLC is planned for The Elder Scrolls Online. Orsinium will wrap up DLC for the game in 2015, but, as you can see on the popular Elder Scrolls Wiki, 2016 should usher in the much anticipated Thieves Guild and Dark Brotherhood DLCs in the first and second quarter of the year respectively. Are you playing The Elder Scrolls Online? How does the release of quarterly DLC strike you?

[Images via Bethesda]

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