The Elder Scrolls Online

Intense overall intensity
Highest flag: Spending — real-money purchases
FantasyMMORPG

What's in it

Spending real-money purchases
High

A Crown Store sells cosmetics, DLC, and convenience items for real money on top of the optional ESO Plus subscription.

Violence realistic
Moderate

Real-time fantasy combat against humanoid bandits, undead, and Daedric monsters with visible blood; hits and finishing blows are bloody but not focused on dismemberment.

Substances depicted
Moderate

Characters brew and drink alcohol for stat buffs at taverns, and the fictional drug skooma appears in the world and lore.

Dark themes intense
Moderate

The story centers on the god Molag Bal stealing the player's soul, with themes of enslavement, sacrifice, and the bleak torment-realm of Coldharbour.

Crime & lawlessness player commits crime
Moderate

A Justice system lets the player pickpocket, steal marked goods, and murder NPCs, drawing guards and bounties.

Torture depicted
Moderate

Coldharbour and Molag Bal storylines reference and briefly depict captives being tormented.

Spending pressure limited-time / daily-login pressure
Moderate

Cosmetics and randomized loot crates are sold in a real-money store through a purchased premium currency, alongside an optional recurring subscription.

Gambling simulated gambling
Moderate

The real-money store sells randomized loot crates whose contents are determined by chance.

Nudity revealing/suggestive attire
Low

Some revealing costumes and outfits on characters and NPCs.

Horror & psychological spooky
Low

Crypts, undead, and Daedric planes create tense, spooky atmosphere in places.

Occult & ritual occult imagery/references
Low

The story centers on your character's stolen soul and a grim underworld realm, and combat involves magic and battles against undead.

Animal combat combat mechanic
Low

Wolves, bears, and other beasts are fought and killed as ordinary combat and hunting.

Sexual content suggestive
Low

Occasional suggestive dialogue and flirtation in romance-tinged quests; nothing explicit is shown.

Language mild
Low

Mild profanity appears in dialogue and lore.

Who can reach your kid

Voice chatChat with strangersDirect messagesStranger friend requestsGifting / tradingReal-money spending

What it is

The Elder Scrolls Online is a large fantasy MMORPG set on the continent of Tamriel, where you create a character and explore a shared open world through quests, dungeons, and player-versus-player battles. Combat is frequent and involves swords, bows, and magic against people, undead, and monsters, with an optional setting that adds on-screen blood. The world includes taverns with alcohol and a fictional drug called skooma, and optional guild storylines let you steal and carry out assassinations for rewards. The overarching story is dark, dealing with your character's stolen soul and a grim underworld realm. As an online game it features text chat, whispers, and voice chat with strangers, plus a real-money store that sells cosmetics and randomized loot crates alongside an optional subscription.

How it's framed

The game frames its violence and crime through fantasy heroics and optional outlaw guilds, presenting theft and assassination as roleplay choices within faction storylines rather than as glorified real-world acts. Darker themes of soul-stealing and damnation drive the central conflict as something the player works to overcome. Monetization is woven into the experience through a real-money store, loot crates, and subscription perks that the world's design steadily encourages.

Details

Developer
ZeniMax Online Studios
Publisher
Bethesda Softworks
Released
May 22, 2017
Metacritic 80critic score (third-party) · out of 100

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