Originally published October 16, 2024. The original article can be found here.
If you enjoy ESO’s fast-paced PvP game mode, prepare for a host of changes coming to Battlegrounds with the upcoming Update 44 base-game patch (arriving October 28 for PC/Mac and November 13 for Xbox and PlayStation consoles). This includes a shift away from the original three-sided battles in favor of 4v4 and 8v8 matches, seven new maps, the addition of powerups, new rewards, and more.
Rebuilding BattlegroundsEdit
When thinking about how they might revisit and redesign Battlegrounds (first introduced all the way back in 2017 with the Morrowind Chapter), the team realized that some of their initial goals for the PvP game mode weren’t being wholly met.
“When designing Battlegrounds for Morrowind, we wanted them to mimic the three-sided Alliance War and be a more relaxing, jump in/jump out type of PVP experience,” explains Brian Wheeler, ESO’s Lead Combat and PvP Designer. “With small teams, however, it turned out to be the opposite, and we saw players had to optimize builds and go 100% during matches. While that’s great for some, it does push others away.”
If Battlegrounds were to appeal to a broader audience, changes needed to be made, and the team realized that switching the core experience to two-sided matches would be the big first step.
“When looking at two-sided matches, we saw it opened the door for larger teams and bigger maps, plus created an experience that was less intense for some players. Feedback suggested that many 4v4v4 matches ended up turning into two-sided ones, anyway, with teams turning on each other or ganging up on either the winner or loser.”
As a result, Battlegrounds were redesigned into two-sided affairs, although the traditional three-sided matches won’t be gone forever and may return in the future for special one-off events. The team then worked to ensure the new style of Battlegrounds matches were enjoyable for both the competitive and more easygoing players.
“For some players, the high-pressure matches are what they live for, but for others, it was a deterrent,” explains Wheeler. “Lots of people enjoy Cyrodiil’s larger battles because they can ‘relax’ when they play it, and we found that it was the opposite for the Battlegrounds experience.”
To help make Battlegrounds fun for both PvP audiences, the decision was made to split two-sided matches into two core experiences: 4v4 and 8v8.
“Our goal was to make two-sided Battlegrounds as engaging and fun for as many types of players as possible,” explains Wheeler. “During development, we looked at smaller and larger maps than our current-sized maps, and we saw there was a space to make smaller ‘more competitive’ maps, while larger maps offered a wider range of players a certain satisfaction. With both 4v4 and 8v8 matches, you can choose the intensity of the experience you want.”
New Maps, Powers, & RulesEdit
Due to the shift to 4v4 and 8v8 matches, the Battlegrounds maps themselves had to be completely rebuilt from the ground up to accommodate the two different experiences. With Update 44’s launch, there will be seven brand-new maps in total, each with variations to support both the larger and smaller match sizes.
“Three of the new maps are considerably smaller than any of the original three-sided ones for 4v4 battles,” says Wheeler. “On the flipside, our 8v8 maps have a variety of sizes, and we also explored symmetry and asymmetry with these maps more than we have done previously.”
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When redesigning the Battlegrounds maps with only two sides in mind, the team discovered that old restrictions no longer applied.
“When trying to create an even playing field with three teams, we were locked into a ‘hexagon’ base for our maps,” explains Wheeler. “With two teams, we could change things up and while we tried to ensure runtimes from both teams are mostly equal, the journey between those key locations could be different.”
In addition to the new maps, the team also introduced powerups for the 8v8 game mode, allowing you to temporarily boost your damage absorption, speed, damage output, and even ultimate gain.
“We added powerups to shake up fights and provide some fun spikes in the action,” says Wheeler. “We wanted the 8v8 mode to be more relaxed than 4v4, and powerups are a great way to reinforce that by giving people opportunities to do things beyond the norm. We also found powerups spread people out as they aren’t just focused on the locations to capture or hunting down players.”
Thanks to the differences in size and the introduction of powerups, 4v4 and 8v8 matches are quite different PvP experiences, and as a result, they will feature different modes. While 8v8 matches will enjoy Capture the Relic, Team Death Match, Domination, Chaos Ball, and Crazy King modes, the smaller 4v4 matches will feature only Team Deathmatch, Domination, and Crazy King to keep things competitive.
In addition, at launch, 4v4 Team Deathmatch games will also feature the Lives mechanic, where each death reduces the team’s lives counter by one, and should you run out, the round is over.
“We designed 4v4 to be a more intense experience than 8v8. The maps are also built with nowhere to hide, so we expect people’s blood pressure to be elevated more so in those matches. When in a 4v4 match, always keep your head on a swivel and an eye on your team’s lives, as they also serve as tie breakers.”
Return to Battle (Plus Earn New Rewards)Edit
To the victors go the spoils, and the team has also improved the rewards for battling your fellow players in the Battlegrounds. This includes the addition of a new Battlegrounds Competitive Leaderboard for 4v4 matches, which is based on your scoring and medals earned.
This is all in addition to a host of new rewards, including pages for three new styles, three new item sets, the Drakes and Daemons Mask adornment, and more.
These new item sets include the Netch Oil heavy set, which when fully equipped, boosts your Crowd Control Immunity to also make you immune to both snares and immobilizations—ensuring that nobody can stop you on the battlefield.
Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or are taking your first steps into Tamriel’s frenetic arenas, Update 44’s changes to Battlegrounds will ensure you’re always in the thick of the action. Are you prepared to battle your fellow players in the new 4v4 and 8v8 Battlegrounds matches? Which size match will you play first? Let us know via X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook.
The Update 44 base-game patch arrives October 28 for PC/Mac and November 13 for Xbox and PlayStation consoles.