What you need to know
- Endless Archive is a new PvE mode coming to The Elder Scrolls Online alongside Update 40.
- Endless Archive pits players against randomized foes in the unending library of Hermaeus Mora, with special rewards like cosmetics, a mount, and a pet.
- Endless Archive is an addition to the base version of The Elder Scrolls Online, meaning it's completely free for all players regardless of what DLC they've bought.
- Update 40 also adds a number of other improvements such as a new Grouping Tool and Grand Master Crafting Stations.
The next addition to the world of Tamriel is a bit different than past chapters.
ZeniMax Online Studios and Bethesda Softworks shared on Thursday that The Elder Scrolls Online is getting a new mode called Endless Archive. Accompanying Update 40, Endless Archive puts players in the infinite winding libraries of Hermaeus Mora, where randomized groups of monstrous foes await.
As a mode with some roguelike elements, Endless Archive is designed so that each run is different from the last. Players can earn special rewards for taking part in Endless Archive, including a mount, a pet, and some special cosmetics. Perhaps most noteworthy is the price, as Endless Archive is completely free for all players, since it's being added directly to the base game.
In addition to Endless Archive, there's a number of other improvements being added with Update 40. Grand Master Crafting Stations are on the way, letting players distill the number of attuned crafting stations in their apartments and housing to clear some space.
There's also a new Group Finder tool, so players can search for likeminded adventures based on whether or not they want to use part chat, preferred playstyle, and more.
Endless Archive and Update 40 are slated to arrive in The Elder Scrolls Online on Oct. 30, 2023 for Windows PC and Mac players. The Xbox and PlayStation versions of the game will be updated on Nov. 14, 2023.
Analysis: You can't beat "free"
These additions seem extremely fun, and I'm looking forward to giving Endless Archive some runs. Making this entirely free was definitely the right call, and while it's a shake-up from how the year-long adventures have worked in the past, I think time will show this to have been a great decision.
For anyone that hasn't tried it yet, I absolutely loved the latest story expansion. In my review of The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom, I wrote that "The story and writing are top-notch, and even if the quest design feels a little dated, it's worth pushing through to find out just what's really going on. Picking up new companions (including the excellent Sharp-as-Night) doesn't hurt either."
