Originally published January 1, 2025. The original article can be found here.
The Update 45 base-game patch and Fallen Banners dungeon DLC arrives March 10 on PC/Mac and March 25 for Xbox and PlayStation consoles. While the U45 base-game patch is free for all ESO players, an ESO Plus™ membership is required to access and play the Fallen Banners dungeon DLC.
Fallen BannersEdit
Kicking off the year’s adventures and challenges, Fallen Banners introduces two new four-player dungeons for you and your team to explore.
Exiled RedoubtEdit
As the continent-spanning Alliance War continues to ravage Tamriel, the Imperial Battlemage Lucilla needs your help investigating the mysterious disappearances of its soldiers. Join Lucilla in infiltrating the stronghold of the once-proud House Albus and discover a plot that threatens to condemn the people of Cyrodiil to endless war.
Lep SeclusaEdit
The Moth Priest sanctuary of Lep Seclusa is besieged, and the Elder Scroll it protects is threatened. You and your allies must defend the Moth Priests and their precious relic from the sinister Orpheon the Tactician and his army of deserters.
Both dungeons feature their own unique storylines, characters, challenges (including unique boss battles), and secrets. Complete these dungeons and you’ll also discover unique rewards, including item sets, collectibles, and Achievements available only in these encounters.
As mentioned above, if you wish to tackle these two new Alliance War-themed dungeons, you’ll need an active ESO Plus membership. The dungeon DLC will NOT be available for purchase for crowns at launch.
Update 45Edit
Arriving in tandem with the dungeon DLC is the Update 45 base-game patch. This free update includes a host of changes and improvements that all ESO players can enjoy.
Cyrodiil Champions Test CampaignEdit
Update 45 introduces the early stages of the new Cyrodiil Champions test PvP campaign. When playing a Cyrodiil Champions test campaign, you and your fellow players are locked to specific class builds, including abilities, attributes, and items. This test allows us to monitor how the server reacts to simplified abilities, with the goal being to collect data and help us plan for the future of Cyrodiil and abilities.
During this test, seven set Cyrodiil Champion classes are available, and access to some features are blocked, including Crown Store provisions, items not included in the class templates, and more. During a Cyrodiil Champions campaign, all competitors are at equal power levels—it all comes down to skill!
Note that with Update 45, we are only just beginning to test the Cyrodiil Champions campaigns. Expect a full rollout with greater options and a more polished experience in the future.
Starter Zone RefreshEdit
The starter zones of Betnikh, Stros M’kai, Bleakrock, Bal Foyen, and Khenarthi’s Roost have all undergone a makeover, bringing them more in line visually with the detail of ESO’s recent additions such as West Weald or the Telvanni Peninsula.
These starter zones have received improvements to their terrain transitions, materials and lighting, and atmosphere. Signs and banners have been positioned to better highlight services (such as crafting or banking locations), and lighting has been adjusted to better define important paths and other areas of detail. With the addition of more organic clutter and props, various portions of the zones should feel a little less sparse and a little more lived in—go check them out!
Quality-of-Life ImprovementsEdit
This base-game patch also features a host of quality-of-life improvements to the game. This includes an improvement to the initial mount experience by significantly increasing their starting movement speed value (without dramatically increasing their top end speed). The team has also reworked specific Craft (green) Champion stars so they no longer need to be slotted for you to benefit from their effects. Finally, the team has also increased the visibility of the value of Mundus Stone Boons, including reminders as to when and where you can find them.
This is just the start of a series of general improvements to the player experience in ESO. Keep an eye out for even more additions and tweaks like the above throughout this year’s updates.
A Realm in ChaosEdit
Tamriel is besieged on all sides, and the people of Cyrodiil need heroes, no matter what side of the conflict they are on. Are you ready to take up arms and defend the Moth Priests of Lep Seclusa or the forgotten soldiers of the Three Banners War? Are you excited to learn more about the various updates and improvements coming to the overall ESO experience? Let us know via X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook.