There have been quite a few expansions released for the Elder Scrolls Online, some of which are more significant than others, adding entirely new zones, questlines, and even classes into the game. Five of these can be considered more major than many of ESO's other DLC, and are often classified in-game as full chapters rather than just expansions. These include the Elsweyr, Greymoor, Morrowind, Blackwood, and Summerset chapters. Which of these are the most worth buying, and what unique content do they add to the game?
On top of the game's five chapters, Elder Scrolls Online includes many other DLC packs. The Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild are arguably among the more worthwhile of these expansions, bringing in fan-favorite factions from other Elder Scrolls games. Others, such as Harrowstorm and Stonethorn, instead aim to continue the game's overarching storylines by way of adding new dungeons.
Fortunately, not all of ESO's expansions have to be outright purchased directly. The introduction of an ESO+ subscription service allows players to unlock and access all of the game's DLC packs available in the Crown Store. It's worth noting, however, that this doesn't tend to include the most recent chapters released for the game. For example, the latest chapter, Blackwood - which was released in June of 2021 - is still unavailable with ESO+.
Elder Scrolls Online Worst Expansion: Morrowind
Morrowind was one of the first major expansions introduced to Elder Scrolls Online, releasing in 2017 and adding a whole host of new features to the game. It was also the first to launch as an individual purchase rather than in the Crown Store. ESO's Morrowind expansion returns players to the iconic island of Vvardenfell, where they take a direct part in the history of The Elder Scrolls franchise by assisting Vivec in stopping the meteor above Vivec City. On top of a new location to explore, a new class and an additional PVP game mode were also added into ESO with the release of Morrowind.
Like ESO's Greymoor expansion, Morrowind largely relied on player nostalgia as a selling point, something that could be seen as either a benefit or a drawback. Additionally, many of the DLC's inclusions are now available to purchase separately in the Crown Store, such as the additional player class, which may diminish its worth in terms of purchasing the entire thing outright.
Elder Scrolls Online #4 Best Expansion: Elsweyr
The Elsweyr chapter of Elder Scrolls Online allowed players to venture to the Khajiit homeland of Elsweyr, which hasn't been fully explorable since the release of Elder Scrolls: Arena in 1994. Given it seems unlikely that Elsweyr will serve as the setting for the upcoming release of The Elder Scrolls 6, the Elsweyr DLC may be the only opportunity for Elder Scrolls fans to visit the region on current-gen consoles. Although ESO's Elsweyr expansion only includes the region of Northern Elsweyr to explore - Southern Elsweyr is also included in the game, just not the DLC - the map is still full of expansive areas to visit.
Elsweyr also introduced a new player class, the Necromancer, as well as the return of the dragons. That said, Elsweyr is overall more suited to group play than solo play, as little solo content was added and more focus was given to the 12-player trial added by the expansion. Dragons, despite all the decent loot they provide, are also more easily taken down with the help of others. The chapter also featured fewer furnishing recipes than other DLC such as Summerset, which proved disappointing for players looking to invest in housing.
Elder Scrolls Online #3 Best Expansion: Greymoor
Given how many times Skyrim has been rereleased, many players may feel like they have little reason to want to explore the region again. This may be part of why Elder Scrolls Online's Greymoor expansion is often skipped over by many players. It takes place in Western Skyrim, encapsulating familiar areas such as the city of Solitude, and even features a story relatively familiar to that featured in Skyrim's Dawnguard expansion: players must go up against a powerful Vampire Lord looking to enslave all of Tamriel.
It doesn't feel as though Greymoor brings anything particularly new or noteworthy to the table, despite its introduction of the Antiquities System, and the new trial and world events introduced through Greymoor provide little benefit to solo or PVE players, save for those itching to revisit Blackreach. Additionally, no new player classes were added to Elder Scrolls Online with its release, leaving Greymoor relatively low as far as worthwhile expansions go.
Elder Scrolls Online #2 Best Expansion: Blackwood
Blackwood is another expansion that echoes back to previous Elder Scrolls games (in this case, Oblivion), putting players up against the Daedric Prince Mehrunes Dagon while exploring the Blackwood region, which in part also encapsulates Oblivion's city of Leyawiin. It's also the game's most recent new chapter and contains a hefty amount of story content to explore alongside new multiplayer content such as a trial and world events, as are usually the case with major Elder Scrolls Online expansions.
Blackwood also introduces companions to the Elder Scrolls Online, which serve as NPC characters that players can fight alongside as seen in previous Elder Scrolls games such as Skyrim. While this may not be a vital feature in the eyes of many players - ESO included no recruitable NPCs for the first several years following its release - it still paves the way for more gameplay mechanics to be added in the future.
Elder Scrolls Online #1 Best Expansion: Summerset
Of Elder Scrolls Online's major expansions, Summerset is arguably the one with the most engaging storyline. In-universe, it marks the first time in the history of Tamriel that the borders of Summerset were opened, allowing players to explore a region that hasn't frequently been touched elsewhere in the series. Given that the Summerset Isles seems poised to be a mysterious contender for the location of The Elder Scrolls 6, it's worthwhile to check the area out. The expansions' storyline also features the return of several interesting Daedric Princes, each of which plays an important role in the overall lore of the franchise.
On top of that, Summerset introduces new abilities thanks to the Psijic Order skill line. The Psijic Order is one of the more mysterious organizations in The Elder Scrolls, and the abilities that come along with the skill line add unique gameplay mechanics into Elder Scrolls Online such as stopping time and resetting a character's Health or Magicka. Jewelry Crafting is another worthwhile ability to pursue, and a variety of different challenges featured across Summerset's map make it the best expansion for group and solo players alike.