The Elder Scrolls Online Going Subscription Free For Console Release

The Elder Scrolls Online, Bethesda Softworks' MMO edition to their popular The Elder Scrolls RPG series, is being redubbed The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited ahead of the game's release on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on June 9.

The name change signals the game ditching its current payment model, which required a monthly subscription fee. It's not quite free-to-play, as the game still requires a one-time purchase for baseline content, but players will only have to pay for additional content that want to unlock. The change goes into effect for PC players on March 17. On the same day, the ESO Plus subscription program will launch, which allows players to choose to pay a monthly fee for access to exclusive in-game bonuses, a monthly allotment of crowns to use in the store and access to all DLC game packs while a member. 

The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited will include all of the content available in the original games' release, as well as updates and additions like the Champion and Justice systems.

"Our fans are our biggest inspiration, and we've listened to their feedback on the entertainment experience they want," said Matt Firor, Game Director of The Elder Scrolls Online, via press release. "We know that Elder Scrolls fans want choice when it comes to how they play and how they pay, and that is what they will get. We have made numerous changes to the game over the past year, and are confident this is a game that Elder Scrolls fans will love to play. Players can explore Tamriel with friends, battle creatures, craft, fish, steal, or siege. The choice is theirs. The game offers hundreds of hours of gameplay with unlimited adventures with one single game purchase. We can't wait for everyone, whether they've played before or will be experiencing it for the first time, to begin adventuring in The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited."

The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited releases on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on June 9.