Why Isn't The Elder Scrolls Online Free-To-Play Already?!

The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) is currently on sale for just $5, which is a steep 75% discount from its usual $20 price tag. At this point, it begs the question: why isn’t the MMORPG free-to-play already?

Sure, $5 gets you the base game, but unlocking the full experience costs significantly more. The Gold Road Collection, which includes all major DLC released to date, is $50. Then there’s the ESO+ Membership, widely considered essential by the player base, which adds another $15 per month.

With free-to-play dominating the multiplayer space, especially in MMOs, it’s surprising that ESO and others still require an upfront purchase.

Take New World, for example. It launched in 2021 for $40 and has actually gone up in price since then. With New World: Aeternum dropping in October 2024, it now costs $60. The game doesn’t lean heavily on monetization either, apart from the optional $20 Premium Reward Track that comes with each new season pass.

Black Desert Online takes another approach, though. It only costs $10 to get in, but its in-game cash shop is heavily monetized. Players are expected to spend money on cosmetics, pets, inventory expansions, and even quality-of-life features like storage maids and weight-limit increases. It’s often criticized for being pay-to-win, and the “Value Pack,” which functions like a subscription, runs $15 per month.

Then there’s Sea of Thieves. It costs $40 outright, but it’s included in Game Pass, making it feel like a “soft” free-to-play title. Many players access it through their subscription, even if it technically still requires a purchase.

I get the business logic, but all four of these games could arguably benefit from going fully free-to-play. Maybe not Sea of Thieves — since Game Pass essentially acts as its subscription model at $12 per month. And New World is buy-once and (mostly) done. But ESO and BDO? They’re already built around microtransactions. At this point, they might as well drop the cover charge entirely.