A Long-Requested Feature Is Finally Coming to Elder Scrolls (But Not How You’d Expect)

With the amount of time fans have been waiting for the next entry in The Elder Scrolls series, it’s no surprise they’ve dreamed up quite the wishlist. One feature many fans want to see in the next installment is some form of ship combat, letting players live out their pirate dreams in Tamriel. Indeed, rumors about The Elder Scrolls 6 have long hinted that it will incorporate some form of naval combat. But first, Elder Scrolls fans will get a trial run of Tamriel’s take on ship battles in another game entirely.

In today’s 2026 Seasons Direct, the team at ZeniMax shared their plans for the future of The Elder Scrolls Online. Much of the stream was focused on what’s ahead for the upcoming April 2nd launch of Season 0. But they did also tease new content for Season 1 and beyond. And that includes the introduction of naval combat and underwater exploration in an upcoming High Seas of Tamriel event.

The Elder Scrolls Online to Introduce Naval Combat & Undersea Exploration

One of the reasons that The Elder Scrolls Online team is excited for its shift to seasonal content updates is that it allows for more experimentation. Since the seasons change was first announced, ZeniMax has been teasing more so-called “experimental content,” trying out new systems and features with limited-run events. In fact, they’ve even hinted at some form of naval combat before. Now, it’s officially coming in ESO Season 1.

We don’t yet have an exact launch date for Season 1. However, with Season 0 starting on April 2nd and seasons expected to run for around 3 months, we can expect Season 1 to arrive sometime this summer. And it’s bringing the High Seas of Tamriel event with it. This event, showcased in today’s stream, will give players a first taste of what naval combat could look like in The Elder Scrolls. We didn’t get too many details on how it will work, but the stream did show off some in-game footage. And from the looks of it, it’s going to be a great pirate-style addition to the game, complete with cannons and boarding enemy ships for epic swordfights.

The High Seas of Tamriel event will also let ESO players delve under the sea to explore the depths. From the looks of it, we’ll use a spell or item to create a bubble of air around our characters, then take to the ocean floor to explore. It looks like the world under the waters of Tamriel will have some beautiful views and a few surprises for players to uncover, as well.

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For now, this experimental content will be limited to the event. That means that it will be live only during the High Seas of Tamriel event, at least for now. But the whole idea of experimental content is to see what works and what fans enjoy, so if it goes over well, it’s quite possible we could see naval combat and underwater exploration in The Elder Scrolls Online again. As for what this means about those Elder Scrolls 6 rumors, it’s hard to say. But at least we know for sure that at least one Elder Scrolls game is letting us live the pirate life, at least for a little while.

The Elder Scrolls Online is available on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox consoles. The Standard Edition costs $19.99 USD, and PlayStation Plus members can snag the Gold Road edition for free until April 6th. Starting with Season 0, new Elder Scrolls Online content updates are free for players who own the base game.

Do you play The Elder Scrolls Online? Does naval combat make you want to try it out or get back into it? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!