The Elder Scrolls Online Announced

ZeniMax and Bethesda Softworks dropped a significant announcement on us this morning – The Elder Scrolls Online is officially in development, and is the MMORPG that former Dark Age of Camelot lead Matt Firor has been working on since shortly after his departure from Mythic Entertainment back in 2006.  We don’t have many details yet, but we’re promised much more in the June issue of Game Informer magazine (and likely at E3):

BETHESDA SOFTWORKS ANNOUNCES THE ELDER SCROLLS ONLINE

ZeniMax Online Studios Takes Award-Winning Elder Scrolls Franchise Online In Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game
 
May 3, 2012 (Rockville, MD) Bethesda Softworks®, a ZeniMax® Media company, today announced The Elder Scrolls® Online, an MMO in development at ZeniMax Online Studios. The Elder Scrolls Online will be the first Elder Scrolls game to allow gamers to explore the legendary Elder Scrolls world with others.

The Elder Scrolls Online is being developed for PC and Mac under the leadership of industry veteran Matt Firor, who has spent the last two decades working in online game development. Details about the game are revealed in an exclusive cover story in Game Informer®’s June issue, which ships to subscribers and newsstands this month.  

(We have been working hard to create an online world in which players will be able to experience the epic Elder Scrolls universe with their friends, something fans have long said they wanted,) said Matt Firor, game director of The Elder Scrolls Online. (It will be extremely rewarding finally to unveil what we have been developing the last several years. The entire team is committed to creating the best MMO ever made and one that is worthy of The Elder Scrolls franchise.)

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim® is the most recent title set in the award-winning Elder Scrolls universe. Skyrim, developed by Bethesda Game Studios, was released in November 2011 and enjoyed worldwide critical and commercial success. Skyrim earned hundreds of ‘˜Game of the Year’ awards, including top honors at the 2012 Game Developers Choice Awards, the 15th Annual 2012 Interactive Achievement Awards held at the 2012 D.I.C.E. Summit, and at the 2011 Video Game Awards. Internationally, Skyrim shipped over 10 million units within the first month of its release, was the second highest grossing title in the industry last year, and is the fastest selling title in Steam’s history.

The Elder Scrolls Online will be featured on magazine covers across Europe and in online stories in the coming months which will provide gamers with more information about this exciting title.

The Elder Scrolls Online has not yet been rated by the ESRB.
 
About ZeniMax Media Inc.
ZeniMax Media is a privately owned media organization headquartered outside Washington DC with international offices in London, Paris, Frankfurt, Eindhoven, and Tokyo. Through its subsidiaries, ZeniMax Media creates and publishes original interactive entertainment content for consoles, the PC, and handheld/wireless devices.  ZeniMax Media divisions include Bethesda Softworks, Bethesda Game Studios, id Software, Arkane Studios, Tango Gameworks, MachineGames Sweden, ZeniMax Europe Ltd., ZeniMax Asia K.K. and ZeniMax Online Studios.   For more information on ZeniMax Media, visit www.zenimax.com.
 
About Bethesda Softworks
Bethesda Softworks, part of the ZeniMax Media Inc. family of companies, is a worldwide publisher of premier interactive entertainment software. Titles featured under the Bethesda label include such blockbuster franchises as DOOM®, QUAKE®, The Elder Scrolls®, Fallout®, Wolfenstein®  and RAGE®.   For more information on Bethesda Softworks’ products, visit www.bethsoft.com.   
 
About ZeniMax Online Studios
ZeniMax Online Studios, a division of ZeniMax Media Inc., was established to become a premier developer of online games, with special focus on Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Games (MMORPGs).  ZeniMax Online Studios is located in Hunt Valley, Maryland. For more information on ZeniMax Online Studios, visit www.zenimaxonline.com.