With every cloud in the storm there’s a little bit of a silver lining. At least that’s how we’re trying to look at the delayed Elder Scrolls Online release date, and it seems that’s how Bethesda’s trying to look at it as well.
Originally scheduled for June (next month), The Elder Scrolls Online release date has now been officially pushed back “about six months” by Bethesda Softworks.
That’s undeniably bad news for those of us who have been looking forward to the game since it was first announced. However, the downer does come with a good-news story: PS4 and Xbox One owners who can’t wait to play the game can buy the PC version now and then transfer their character(s) and stats to the console version for $20.
It’s unclear whether any mission-based progress will also be transferrable, so gamers may have to revisit certain dungeons and questlines. However, all character(s) stats will be transferred directly to a console version of The Elder Scrolls Online whenever its release date rolls around.
Here’s how it works, per a note from Bethesda.
“Via a special offer, anyone who purchases and plays the PC/Mac version of The Elder Scrolls Online by the end of June will have the opportunity to transfer their character(s) to either console version when they are released. The offer will allow you to begin playing immediately on the PC/Mac, and then add the PS4 or Xbox One version and transfer the character(s) you have created and developed. And, you don’t have to pay full price for the game twice. For $20, eligible PC and Mac players will have the option to add a full, digital version of ESO on either the PS4 or the Xbox One with your character transfer(s), and another 30 days of included game time.”
So while the delayed Elder Scrolls Online release date is certainly disappointing for console owners, knowing that you can play it now — albeit on a different system — and not lose your character progression is good news. The question then becomes whether you have a computer that’s actually powerful enough to run ESO.
For those of you curious about what exactly caused the delay, the issue seems associated the massively multiplayer elements of the game on a console. And no, it wasn’t one network having problems while the other didn’t. Here’s Bethesda’s note:
“We are still working to solve a series of unique problems specific to those platforms. Integrating our systems with each console manufacturer’s networks — which are both different from the PC/Mac system as well as different from each other—has been a challenging process. It has become clear that our planned June release of the console versions isn’t going to be possible. Though we have made great progress, we have concluded that we’ll need about six months to ensure we deliver the experience our fans expect and deserve.”
