With the launch of ESO’s next chapter — Greymoor — coming to PC/Mac on May 26 and console on June 9, Bethesda has shared a tonne of info about the game’s Vampires. Alongside werewolves, witches and other monsters, Vampires are taking centre stage in Greymoor.
Randy Begel, ESO’s Senior Writer said;
We wanted to tell a story that leveraged a dark and brooding tone and leaned into the gothic themes. We hope that Greymoor’s long shadows feel oppressive, full of intrigue and danger.
In Greymoor, “Western Skyrim is under attack from an unknown force, and you must unravel the mystery at the heart of a conspiracy that rises from the underground realm of Blackreach.” Vampires, werewolves, giants and more are at the core of Greymoor’s storyline and ESO’s writers relished the chance to explore these villains.
“I think I’ve written at least five distinct vampire-themed pieces of content for ESO at this point, so I’m well-practiced and completely out of fresh synonyms for blood,” jokes Begel. “The challenge came in both making these antagonists feel unique compared to so many other factions players have faced and making them still feel every bit as terrifying as they deserve. Whether we’ve been successful injecting some new blood into old, familiar foes is for the players to decide, but my hope is that their methods and motives will keep players guessing until the conclusion of our year-long narrative.”
ESO Vampires
Since Vampires play such a large role in ESO, Bethesda has “Re-Vamped” the Vampire Skill Line. Update 26 for ESO has drastically changed Vampires and how they play in the game.
Kyle Nowak, Combat Designger said;
The Vampire Skill Line has not seen significant changes since its inception, beyond some minor combat balancing tweaks. Given the timing of this Chapter and the feedback we’ve seen from players over the years, it felt like the right moment.
As a result, the Vampire Skill Line includes new abilities as well as updated ones and replacement ones. Bethesda wanted to make Vampires more active and engaging in combat. An example given is the synergy of two abilities; Eviscerate and Blood Frenzy. Eviscerate deals damage based on how much health you’re missing while Blood Frenxy drainss your health to grant incrased weapon and spell damage.
Together, they can create some serious carnage. A brand-new ultimate ability for Vampires has been included in ESO; Blood Scion. This ultimate transforms you into a beast and in this form, you have boosted health, stamina and magicka and the ability to heal yourself whilst dealing damage.
Finally, in a recent Twitch stream, designers Rob Garret and Kyle Nowak explained the re-vamped Skill Line, while Dungeon Lead Mike Finnigan gave players a look at the new 12-player Trial in Greymoor.
ESO’s Greymoor chapter launches on May 26 for PC/Mac and June 9 for PS4 and Xbox One.
