The 12-year-old Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) kicked off its new era with Season 0: Dawn and Dusk. The next stop in its new, nearly freemium model is Season 1, which is set to introduce a new Thieves Guild questline since 2014.
Below, we reveal the ESO Season 1 release date and start time, and break down all things you can expect from this upcoming ESO update.
ESO season 1 release date countdown
ESO season 1 arrives on July 8, 2026. Like Season Zero, it will be available simultaneously on all platforms at the weekly reset time on Tuesday, 10am UTC (NA) and 3am UTC (Europe). You could expect an hour or two of downtime for scheduled weekly maintenance and network congestion when the new season goes live.
ESO Season 1 launch
Unlike ESO Chapters, Seasons are free for all. You don’t have to purchase anything to access seasonal content. However, Seasons has introduced a new battle pass-like system called Tamriel Tomes, whose premium version costs $14.99, which is the same as a month’s worth of ESO Plus subscription.
What to expect from ESO Season 1?
ESO Season 1’s biggest additions are the new Thieves Guild and Shehograth’s questlines. The Daedric Prince of Madness returns with a six-part questline that takes you on a mind-bending adventure across Tamriel.
The new Thieves Guild questline takes you to a revamped Glenumbra Zone in the Daggerfall Covenant, where you plan a multi-step heist with fresh and familiar members of the guild, such as Quenneth (Quen). In addition to new quests, the Thieves Guild introduces new stealth systems, such as the ability to hide in flower pots. Expect to obtain a new mythic item as well.
In addition to these questlines, ESO Season 1 brings a new 12-player Crimson Veldt Trial, the High Seas of Tamriel Event, and a class overhaul for the Warden. The High Seas of Tamriel Event adds underwater exploration and combat encounters for the first time to ESO.
If you’re a huge fan of high-octane combat encounters, fret not, as Season 1 also adds a new system called Sage’s Vault. It’s a combat-free activity full of environmental puzzles and traps.
These are just the new prominent additions coming to ESO in Season 1. You could expect several QoL changes, similar to Season Zero. More details should be revealed via future livestreams and patch notes.
