The Elder Scrolls Online Update 44 is Now on the Public Test Server

Update 44 for The Elder Scrolls Online base game is now available on the Public Test Server.

In order to access the Public Test Server, players need to toggle the setting in the ESO launcher which reads ‘Show Public Test Environment’. After downloading the game client, players will be able to access the new update. 

The new update features a major PVP update that changes the way that Battlegrounds works, with two-sided matches instead of three-sided. Currently, the match types available are 4v4 and 8v8, with the old 4v4v4 mode no longer available except for certain traditional game modes such as Chaosball and Capture the Relic.

The update also adds two new companions named Tanlorin and Zerith-Var. Tanlorin is a High-Elf who “mixes Soul Magic with Dragonknight abilities”, while Zenith-Var is a Khajit that uses Necromancy. Players who have an active ESO Plus membership can get both allies for free. You can also buy them from the Crown Store.

The final major change to the game comes in the form of a new Grimoire — the ‘Banner Bearer’. Per the official announcement (which also go into other changes and additions that update 44 made to the game):

“Banner Bearer is from the Support Skill Line and allows you to throw a banner on your back, leading the charge with an AoE buff to your group’s abilities that match your chosen Focus. No matter what shape your party takes, this new Grimoire will ensure you can give your allies the support you need.”