Today, Bethesda lifted the lid on the next ‘Year-Long Adventure’ coming to The Elder Scrolls Online. Set in Skyrim, yes, that Skyrim, “An ancient evil emerges from the depths, intent on devouring the souls of Skyrim. A dark tide of monsters rise from Blackreach and threatens to plunge all of Tamriel into darkness.” The Dark Heart of Skyrim ‘Year-Long Adventure’ will begin with the Harrowwind DLC which leads into the Greymoor chapter on PC/Mac in May and consoles in June.
The Harrowstorm DLC will be available in March 2020 and will be available for all ESO Plus players and for purchase in the in-game Crown Store. Harrowstorm will feature two brand-new dungeons; Icrereach and Unhallowed Grave.
The supernatural and dark forces at work in Harrowstorm threaten Skyrim and the events of the DLC lead into the Greymoor chapter.
Dark Heart of Skyrim
Unhallowed Grave will let players “explore a long-forgotten burial ground and stop a group of merciless graverobbers from looting its ancient remains.” When it comes to Icecreach, Bethesda says;
Unnatural storms swirl around the frozen island of Icereach. Fight your way through frigid ruins and put an end to an unholy ritual.
In addition to the two new dungeons and adventures that lead directly into Greymoor, Harrowstorm will give players new rewards to unlock, new gear sets, Achievements, collectibles and more.
When Greymoor launches on May 18 and consoles on June 2, it will kick off the ‘Year-Long Adventure’ in earnest. In Greymoor, “Supernatural harrowstorms plague Western Skyrim, and dark beasts, led by a powerful Vampire Lord, devour souls to further their mysterious plans.”
Players will need to work to defend Skyrim’s Nords and investigate the cause of the supernatural and dark forces causing havoc.
When Greymoor launches it will give players a whole new zone to explore; Western Skyrim. This ‘iconic’ area will be familiar to fans of Skyrim, though ESO is set almost 100-years before The Elder Scrolls V.
In Western Skyrim, players will explore the frozen tundra and mountains of the region as well as venturing into Blackreach. The main questline that ties into Dark Heart of Skyrim adventure will focus on the Vampire Lord who is leading monsters from the depths of Blackreach and into the lands of Skyrim.
Greymoor also introduces an all-new system; antiquities.
Travel across Tamriel to recover lost artifacts with the new Antiquities System. Scry the location of ancient relics and excavate them to uncover Tamriel’s hidden history and become a world-renown Archaeologist
Locating and excavating antiquities will require players to complete a series of new mini-games. The items and objects that are uncovered are unique collectibles that can be used as furnishings and mementos.
Best of all, this new system extends beyond Western Skyrim. While hunting for antiquities you’ll travel to all corners of Tamriel.
The release of Greymoor will also introduce a new 12-player trial; Kyne’s Aegis.
Defend the island bastion of Kyne’s Aegis in a massive 12-player trial and protect the besieged villagers from invading Sea Giants. Battle hordes of monstrous raiders and three challenging bosses in this new PvE group challenge.
Players will also come across Supernatural Harrowstorms that are plaguing Western Skyrim. Harrowstorms drain the life from anyone caught inside and transforms them into zombies and monsters. Players will need to work together to shut down the Harrowstorms before the engulf all of Skyrim.
Finally, new rewards await players with Skyrim’s Bounty. Bethesda is promising a massive new selection of new and unique rewards to be found. This includes six armour sets and more.
To get more information and see Bethesda reveal the Dark Heart of Skyrim, watch the livestream below.
Harrowstorm launches this February/March and Greymoor launches in May/June. Two more pieces of content will launch for Dark Heart of Skyrim in 2020. One Dungeon DLC pack will launch in quarter 3 and an additional story DLC chapter will launch in quarter 4.