Check out the base game improvements coming with Update 45, including visually refreshed starter zones!
The release of Update 45 on live servers is coming soon, occurring March 10 for PC/Mac and March 26 for Xbox and PlayStation consoles. When it hits, players can enjoy a variety of improvements to the base game experience. There’ll be something for everyone, from new players just stepping into Tamriel to ESO veterans with an abundance of Champion Points. Check out some of the highlights below.
A Fresh Start for Starter Zones
As part of the ongoing commitment to keeping ESO as modern and welcoming to players as possible, several zones have received a visual refresh to bring them up to more recent standards.
“Moving from the updates to the Wailing Prison in Update 44, the five starter zones represented the very next step in the new player experience,” explains Art Manager Morgan Godat. “Because these zones are smaller, we were able to bundle up the changes and release them together to make sure that all new players would have a first open zone experience closer in visual quality to our newly released zones, regardless of their choices in character creation.”
Compare updated starter zones
These zones—Bleakrock Isle, Bal Foyen, Stros M’kai, Betnikh, and Khenarthi’s Roost—have all received visual improvements and now benefit from the team’s long experience.
“The changes are primarily a cosmetic facelift for many assets in the world, using newer parts and tricks we’ve learned over the years since the initial game launch. Things like ground and water textures, grasses and flowers, lighting, and some small prop replacements,” says Principal World Builder Greg Barley. “Certain locations have updated structures, such as the docks or shipwrecks on Khenarthi’s Roost, for example.”
Saddle Up for Quality-of-Life Changes
In addition to the starter zone refresh, this base-game patch also includes a host of changes and improvements to the overall experience.
Improved Base Mount Speed
Mounts now start out noticeably faster than they did previously, while still ending up around the same final speed for most. If you fully invest in all possible mount speed improvements, you may even end up going slightly faster than before.
"Unlocking a mount is a big moment early in your adventuring career, and it should feel good,” explains Senior Systems Designer Cullen Lee.
Get galloping and get going!
However, Lee notes that it hasn’t always been the case.
“Prior to Update 45, it was easy to 'sprint away' from your first mount experience feeling faster than the mount itself. With the changes in place, you'll find that mounts feel significantly more useful early in your journey, while keeping them feeling the same at the top end."
Craft Champion Point Improvements
If you’ve reached level 50, you’ll notice some changes to the way the Craft constellation works.
"In Update 45, the first thing you'll notice about the Craft, or green, tree is that you probably have some empty slots available now,” says Lee. “We've taken most of the stars that were a chore to remember to slot and made them always active. This means that once you unlock a star like Meticulous Disassembly or Plentiful Harvest, you'll never have to worry about forgetting to swap your stars around and missing out on rewards ever again!”
With these changes, the team hopes to make some previously overlooked stars more appealing.
“With so many previously slotted stars changed to always active, you'll also find that some stars that you might have passed over in the past are more exciting, since they are no longer competing against some of the best stars for slots."
Tamriel Map Cleanup and Messaging
Update 45 also includes an effort from the UI team to make the continent map of Tamriel clearer and more usable. Clutter has been reduced, and zone names now appear on the map as you zoom in.
"I think the changes to the Tamriel level of the map will get noticed pretty quickly,” says Lead UI Designer Bobby Weir. “Previously, discovered wayshrines could fill up the map to the point of making it difficult to navigate. We've changed it to only show one wayshrine per zone at that higher level, so hopefully it won't feel like you're fighting with the map anymore when trying to use it."
Disguise Items Added to Collectibles
Many quests that featured a player disguise now grant that disguise as a permanent collectible among their completion rewards—no inventory space required! A large number of the available disguises have been converted for Update 45, and you’ll unlock the new collectibles on your first post-patch login with any character who has completed a relevant quest.
Mundus Stone Boon Visibility
The power granted by a Mundus Stone is a crucial element of many character builds, so we have taken steps to better convey its value to new players. There is now a reminder about Mundus Stones among the Level 10 Level Up Rewards, clearer and more direct information in the Mundus Stone Help Entry, and a section for Mundus Stone Boons in the Character and Inventory UI screens.
Enjoy more Mundus Stone help
Additionally, the Mundus Stone Boon area of these screens now turns red if you reach level 20 without an active Boon to remind you to acquire one.
These are just some of the many changes and additions coming to ESO with Update 45. You can experience it all for yourself when the patch arrives on March 10 for PC/Mac and March 26 for Xbox and PlayStation consoles. Are you excited for the base-game improvements coming to Tamriel? Let us know via X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook.
The Update 45 base-game patch arrives March 10 on PC/Mac and March 26 for Xbox and PlayStation consoles.