The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO), an MMORPG set in the world of Tamriel, has become one of the most successful live-service games in the industry. Recently, it was revealed that the game has generated over $2 billion in customer spending over its ten-year lifespan. That’s a really great thing; it shows sustained success and longevity in a competitive market.
Despite its strong financial performance, ESO often doesn’t get as much attention as other live-service games like Fortnite and World of Warcraft. In fact, it came as a huge surprise for me to find out. Studio Director Matt Firor spoke to GR about how he thinks this milestone should bring more recognition to the game. He said that the $2 billion figure was revealed “mostly to highlight the game,” emphasizing that ESO deserves to be considered among the top live-service titles.
“I think that [$2 billion figure] just shows the commitment that the players have to the game, and also that we at Zenimax Online have. It’s hugely successful, and we love working on it.”
Matt Firor
Firor has highlighted the connection between ESO’s success and the commitment of both the players and the development team at ZeniMax Online Studios. If you take that $2 billion and cut it down to years, that’s $200 million a year. Any developer or publisher would consider that a huge success for profits.
The news about ESO’s financial success comes at the same time as a recent report indicating that in 2023, older games made up most of the total playtime. Despite the widespread attention given to games like Fortnite and League of Legends, this report shows that many successful live-service games are doing well despite being away from the mainstream spotlight.
Despite not receiving as much attention as some other games, ESO’s consistent revenue generation confirms its position as a major player in the live-service game genre. It shows that the game isn’t going anywhere anytime soon and it likely will only grow with time.