ESO Gates of Oblivion: Release date, Blackwood, trailers & pre-orders

Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) is set to get its next chapter, Gates of Oblivion, in 2021. After being revealed at The Game Awards, not much is known about the expansion ⁠— but there are some key details.

Elder Scrolls Online’s yearly chapter for 2021 is on its way. Players are still exploring the Greymoor chapter, going through the new Western Skyrim and Greymoor Caverns.

However, the Gates of Oblivion have been revealed, and it’s got the playerbase hungry for new content. Missed the reveal, or just want to know more details? We’ve got you covered.

ESO Gates of Oblivion release date

We now know that main content drop of Gates of Oblivion, Blackwood, will be released to fans playing on PC, Mac, and Stadia on June 1, 2021. Last-gen PS4 and Xbox One console owners will have to wait a few days later, releasing on June 8.

Fans will be undoubtedly excited to see how iconic locations featured in Oblivion will look in this new content drop. Prior to this, players saw the Flames of Ambition DLC drop earlier on March 8, 2021, kick-starting the storyline, providing players with a glimpse into what can be expected throughout the year.

Gates of Oblivion DLC release dates

Spanning a year, Gates of Oblivion will provide players with multiple content drops. These are:

• Flames of Ambition (March 8 for PC, Mac, and Stadia/March 16 for Xbox One and PlayStation 4)
• Blackwood (June 1 for PC, Mac, and Stadia/June 8 for Xbox One and PlayStation 4)
• Unannounced Q3 DLC dungeon pack (date TBD)
• Unannounced Q4 DLC story zone (date TBD)

ESO Gates of Oblivion trailers

Trailer 1

The one-minute trailer revealed at the Game Awards in December 2020 didn’t reveal much about the Gates of Oblivion chapter. However, there’s more than enough to go off of.

The trailer shows a wood elf having a fiery nightmare, with a book looking to be the source of these visions. It’s laying pretty heavy on the hell theme, and that can only mean one thing in Tamriel: diving into the Oblivion.

Trailer 2

At the Global Reveal event hosted on January 26, 2021, we got an extended look through a three-minute cinematic trailer that further sets the mood and tone of the expansion, continuing the theme of hell and despair, complete with growling grizzlies and robed cultists.

Featuring an epic battle between Wood Elves, Argonians, and Dunmers against the cultists before venturing into the Oblivion realm, players are surely set for a treat.

ESO Gates of Oblivion 2021 global reveal event

In a two-hour-long event that covered the upcoming expansion and gave viewers a glimpse into a behind-the-scenes look at the development process, we also got a look at some sneak-peak gameplay that provided players with a look into the two dungeons arriving in update 29.

ESO Gates of Oblivion gameplay: new region, more

The expansion is named after the fourth Elder Scrolls release, which dropped back in 2006. Following the reveal event, an official blog post from the team further indicated what players can expect with the release.

“In the Gates of Oblivion adventure, you can explore a new storyline told throughout all of ESO’s 2021 content releases… in this year-long saga, you will unravel the ambitions and schemes of the Daedric Prince Mehrunes Dagon 800 years before the events of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.”

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In June’s content drop, Blackwood, players will experience over 30 hours of story content in a brand new zone that will take players on a thrilling journey that showcases a “diverse culture of the Argonians [that] meets with Imperial ambitions”.

Overcome with Daedra, evil encompasses this land of mixed cultures that requires aid from your heroism in landmarks such as the fan-favorite City of Leyawiin that was previously featured in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

The Elder Scrolls: Blackwood pre-order editions

Depending on your personal needs, there are technically four editions available; two of which are recommended towards returning players, while the other two are targeted at newcomers to the MMO. Pre-purchasing Blackwood right now will net you unique rewards at launch, also providing immediate access to the Nagahide Welwa Ravager mount. Players who pre-purchase before March 17, 2021 will also receive the cute and fiery Nightmare Bear Cub pet.

We’ve broken down what’s included in these editions below:

Returning players

• The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood Upgrade – Includes just the Blackwood upgrade alongside the goodies mentioned above.
• The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood Upgrade Collector’s Edition – Includes the Blackwood upgrade, bonuses mentioned above, and the Battlefield Nightmare Senche mount, Jewel Feathered Sep Adder pet, Temporal Grimoire memento, Deadlands Gladiator Outfit Style, and the Offer Weapon emote.

New players

• The Elder Scrolls Online Collection: Blackwood – ESO base game and all previous content chapters alongside the Blackwood chapter, including the goodies listed above.
• The Elder Scrolls Online Collection: Blackwood CE – ESO base game, all previous content chapters alongside the Blackwood chapter, including the goodies listed above, and the Battlefield Nightmare Senche mount, Jewel Feathered Sep Adder pet, Temporal Grimoire memento, Deadlands Gladiator Outfit Style, and the Offer Weapon emote.