Longtime fans of Elder Scrolls Online may soon see a resolution to a perplexing lore discrepancy that has lingered for a decade. The game's developers, Zenimax Online Studios, have revealed plans to address this long-standing issue in an upcoming update.
Since its launch in 2014, Elder Scrolls Online has provided players with an expansive view of Tamriel, offering new locations and narratives beyond what the mainline Elder Scrolls games offer. While the single-player RPGs typically focus on one or two provinces of Tamriel, Elder Scrolls Online has opened up the vast world of the series to a large player base, enriching the Elder Scrolls universe.
Revisiting a Decade-Old Lore Conundrum in Elder Scrolls Online Gold Road
Over the years, the Elder Scrolls franchise has evolved under various creative teams, resulting in occasional conflicts in its lore. One of these conflicts arose when Elder Scrolls Online depicted Cyrodiil, the Imperial Province, as a temperate region similar to its portrayal in Oblivion, in contrast to earlier descriptions of a dense jungle during the Second Era. This inconsistency will finally be addressed in the Gold Road expansion, according to an interview with Rich Lambert, the Creative Director of Elder Scrolls Online.
The Gold Road expansion will introduce new playable areas within Cyrodiil, including the West Weald region, situated in the south and southwest of Cyrodiil, near Valenwood and Elsweyr. Upon the expansion's release on June 3, 2024, players will encounter a vast jungle that seemingly emerged overnight, attributed to a group known as the Recollection, comprising Bosmer (Wood Elves). The group's intentions remain shrouded in mystery but may connect to story elements from The Elder Scrolls: Necrom.
Rich Lambert emphasized that the introduction of the jungle in Cyrodiil serves as a deliberate move to address the long-standing lore inconsistencies that have intrigued Elder Scrolls enthusiasts for years, humorously dubbed 'junglegate' by some. The presence of jungles in Cyrodiil holds significance in Elder Scrolls lore, as historical myths suggest that Emperor Tiber Septim personally cleared the jungles to alter the province's climate. Zenimax's attention to resolving such enduring but minor issues alongside crafting new content for the Gold Road expansion is a reassuring sign for the game's community.