ZeniMax has revealed The Elder Scrolls Online’s Update 45 and Fallen Banners DLC, giving us a look at some of the changes we can expect to see when collecting The Elder Scrolls Online achievements in 2025. With PvP changes, a fresh coat of paint on starter zones, new dungeons to explore, and more — including addons for Xbox Series X|S — things sound great for the Xbox MMO.The Elder Scrolls Online: Fallen Banners DLC announcedUpdate 45 and the Fallen Banners DLC launch on Xbox on March 25, 2025Update 45 is free and includes quality-of-life improvements, PvP changes, and moreThe Fallen Banners DLC adds two dungeons and will only be available for ESO Plus members at launchZeniMax has announced that Update 45 will launch alongside the Fallen Banners DLC on March 10 for PC and March 25 for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One. Update 45 adds a new Cyrodiil Champions PvP campaign, makeovers for starter zones, several quality-of-life improvements, and more. The Fallen Banners DLC will launch exclusively for ESO Plus subscribers, adding the Exiled Redoubt and Lep Seclusa dungeons.Last month, ZeniMax announced that it’ll no longer be releasing annual expansions and will instead move to a seasonal format in 2025. The move came as a surprise for fans and many concerns have been shared online about the direction ZeniMax is taking the game. As for me, I was pretty excited about the change in direction, and if the next update is anything to go by, things will only get better.After years of screaming about server performance, changes to Cyrodiil’s PvP will start rolling out with Update 45, which adds a new Cyrodiil Champions test campaign. Unlike the other campaigns, Champions locks players into specific class builds — attributes, abilities, and items included — which ZeniMax says will allow the team to “monitor how the server reacts to simplified abilities, with the goal being to collect data and help us plan for the future of Cyrodiil and abilities.”Looking towards PvE, ZeniMax is making another move to improve the experience for new players and give the base game some love for fans. In March, the Betnikh, Stros M’kai, Bleakrock, Bal Foyen, and Khenarthi’s Roost zones will get a fresh coat of paint, improving everything from lighting and their general atmosphere to new additions like organic clutter and updated signage. As for the quality-of-life improvements, there are a few on the way. The starting speed for mounts will be increased, although ZeniMax says that will be done “without dramatically increasing their top-end speed,” so high-level players might not feel much of a difference. Several crafting skills in the green Champion Point tree will become passive, and the “visibility of the value of Mundus Stone Boons” will be increased.Alongside those changes, we can also expect to see new item sets added and improvements to maps, while custom waypoint markers are on the way, and disguises will become collectibles so they’re not cluttering our banks.Although not part of Update 45, ZeniMax has announced that players on Xbox Series X|S and PS5 can look forward to addons in the future. Developers will be able to start playing around with them on the PTS next week.While the Fallen Banners DLC will add two new dungeons to The Elder Scrolls Online — which I hope includes new achievements as we’ve seen in the past — they will be exclusively available for ESO Plus members at first. Traditionally, subscribers have received instant access to new dungeons, while those without could purchase them via the in-game Crown Store in exchange for real-world currency, but it seems things are changing this year. However, it sounds like they’ll only be exclusive for a limited time.As for the two dungeons, Exiled Redoubt sees us teaming up with Imperial Battlemage Lucilla as we discover a plot that “threatens to condemn the people of Cyrodiil to endless war.” We’ll need to infiltrate House Abus’ stronghold and put a stop to their plans. Lep Seclusa takes us to a besieged Moth Priest sanctuary in a bid to protect an Elder Scroll from falling into the hands of Orpheon the Tactician and his troops.Tom’s take — Update 45 is an exciting taste of what’s to come in 2025 for The Elder Scrolls OnlineWhile not strictly part of the upcoming seasonal changes — we’ll learn about those sometime in April — these changes are likely possible because the team isn’t focusing on the next expansion. It’s sad to see Chapters disappear, as I loved diving back in each June for the next big adventure, but seeing so many other aspects of the game get some love is a welcome sight.PvP has been in a sorry state for a long time, and its dedicated community deserves a more polished experience. Likewise, the starter experience hasn’t been welcoming enough for players interested in dipping their toes into the huge game, and while Update 45 only includes a facelift for the beginning zones, it’s a great step in the right direction.I certainly didn’t have console addons on my bingo card, but damn will that be cool to have on Xbox Series X|S in the future. As for locking the Fallen Banners DLC behind the premium paywall at launch, it makes sense. ESO Plus will likely become an important revenue stream for the game now that Chapters have been dropped, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see more subscription benefits arrive in the future.I’m obviously very excited about this new direction, but I’d love to know your thoughts. What do you think of these changes? Will you be making time between all of the upcoming Game Pass games to return to Tamriel? Drop a comment below and let us know!
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