The Elder Scrolls Online Has a Good Reason for Skipping a 'Classic' Version

Rich Lambert, the creative director of The Elder Scrolls Online, has revealed the reason why a classic version of the game has never been released. As the game approaches its 10th anniversary, The Elder Scrolls Online retains an enormous community of millions of players, keeping the game extremely relevant in the MMO space.

The idea of MMOs creating classic versions, giving players the chance to revisit the games as they were years ago, is not new. Old School RuneScape launched back in 2013, allowing players to experience Jagex's RPG as it was back in 2007. With frequent updates voted on by the community in the years since, Old School RuneScape still does many things better than most modern MMOs. For plenty of long-time fans, it remains the better of the two active RuneScape MMOs. World of Warcraft Classic followed in 2019, recreating Blizzard's MMO using a build from around September 2006. However, it seems that The Elder Scrolls Online won't be following suit any time soon.

Speaking to The Gamer, Rich Lambert, The Elder Scrolls Online's creative director, confirmed the valid reason why the game won't be receiving a classic version like some of the best MMOs on the market. «Nobody liked ESO when it launched, so I don't think going back to thatis ideal, but I understand the sentiment, being able to start over and being fresh and new,» he began, before going on to say, «It's something we've definitely toyed with and talked about, but we've spent so much time and effort turning ESO into what it is today that I don't think it's the right thing to do.»

It's a simple reason, but a valid one nonetheless — people just didn't like The Elder Scrolls Online enough at launch to feel nostalgic about it today. The game came out just a few years after Skyrim, and many were disappointed when the game was much different to Bethesda's single-player RPG. ZeniMax Online Studios has worked for a decade to bring the game to where it is now, with many feeling that The Elder Scrolls