Set in Western Cyrodiil, a Zone Familiar to Oblivion Fans

Gold Road features some iconic locations from The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion such as the city of Skingrad tucked in the southwest regions of Cyrodiil. The latest expansion takes place in The West Weald, which is comprised of three diverse sub-regions. The southeast region makes up the autumnal Gold Road proper with the city of Skingrad as its capital. To the southwest lies the newly emergent jungle of Dawnwood, which is bordered by the Valenwood province and some wood elf settlements. The northern region is home to the Colovian Highlands, home to a scattering of Ayleid ruins and Imperial settlements. Finally, there’s the mysterious Wildburn zone, which features all-new creatures and plants affected by the magical creation of the Dawnwood jungle. Gold Road is one of the largest expansion zones for ESO yet, only perhaps rivaling Craglorn and Vvardenfell in sheer size.

When Does Gold Road Take Place?

Gold Road is a direct sequel to ESO’s last expansion, Necrom, and slots in as part two of the seventh main story arc. ESO in general takes place in the 2nd Era before the events of Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim.

Introduces a New Daedric Prince

Mirrormoore Incursions are dynamic world events brought about by mysterious Daedric entities known as Valkynaz. These Daedric entities strive to invade the The West Weald by means of Oblivion portals caused by ritualists. You’ll be encountering batches of Daedric occultists throughout the West Weald in an effort to prevent further incursions. The six Valkynaz boss fights promise a bounty of rewards and lore details in equal measures.

The Story of Gold Road

The big villain of Gold Road is the forgotten Daedric Prince Ithelia. Ithelia’s presence is felt through the Mirrormoore Incursions popping up around the region, as well as NPC conversations discussing the new threat. But Gold Road doesn’t just channel classic Oblivion vibes, there’s also the mysterious appearance of the Dawnwood jungle that popped up in the southwest. The unprecedented amount of upheaval and mystery upending The West Weald makes for a wonderful melting pot of mystery and turmoil to journey through.

The New Scribe System Finally Introduces Spellcrafting

Scribing is the biggest game-changer to come out of the Gold Road expansion. Ever wanted to create your own spells in ESO like you could in other Elder Scrolls games? Well, Scribing aims to satisfy that spellcrafting craving if you have the patience to overcome its lengthy tutorial. Scribing involves a Grimoire (skill type) and Scripts that define the parameters of the skill. There are 11 Grimoires to unlock in the game as well as a Focus Script which defines the main function, the Signature Script which adds unique effects to the skill, and the Affix Script that adds unique buffs/debuffs to the skill.

Do the Scribe Questline First To Get a Headstart on the Grind

You unlock Scribing through a multi-part quest chain involving the Mages Guild; we strongly suggest you do the Scribing quest chain first thing in the Gold Road expansion as you only unlock its components when activating the quest. What some may not like to hear is there appears to be a hefty grind involved if you want to unlock the various Scripts required to Scribe within one of the 11 skill Grimoires.

New Skill Styles Allow Visual Customization of Spells and Skills

Gold Road allows you to take skill customization even further with Skill Styles. Skill Styles will enable you to customize the aesthetic features of various Scribed and non-Scribed skills. The aesthetic options range from colors to different animations, though I’m slightly disappointed you can’t customize sound effects (yet). You unlock most Skill Styles through Class Achievements and quests. Gold Road includes 22 Skill Styles in total with more likely to come in later updates.

New Item Sets Introducing an ESO First: Attack Status Effects

Another new inclusion is the ability to infuse light and heavy attacks with status effects. This may seem trivial, but longtime players of the decade-old MMO have been asking for this for a while now and Gold Road finally includes it. The way you add direct status effects to attacks is through the new Thread of War item set found in Gold Road. Gold Road actually includes 10 new item sets for you to find and craft, but Threads of War is the most notable one that players will want to keep an eye out for.

12-Player Lucent Citadel Trial

Trials are essentially ESO’s endgame raid dungeon content for groups of 12 players. The Lucent Citadel is said to be the most difficult and complex ‘trial’ dungeon yet, set in a Daedric vault nestled in the Fargrave Oblivion Plane. The cool thing about this Trial dungeon is how story-heavy it is. The lost Daedric Prince Ithelia has initiated a frenzied search for a mysterious relic called the Arcane Knot, causing a myriad of problems for your old ally Keshargo. ESO’s developers say Lucent Citadel is their most experimental dungeon yet, featuring far more obstacles than just combat, even hinting at levitation in their promotional material.

Gold Road’s Gameplay Is Friendly Toward New Players

Among the big ongoing MMOs, ESO remains the most welcoming to new players. Ever since 2017, ESO’s entire library of expansion content has been completely available to tackle in any non-linear order you can imagine, regardless of player level. ESO’s level scaling system encourages non-linear playstyles, making retreading previous zones engaging and interesting. With the introduction of Scribing and the added West Weald region, there’s never been a better time to jump in late to the party of ESO.

ESO’s Story Is … Not Quite as Newbie-Friendly

Just make sure to catch up on Necrom’s ongoing storyline if you care about plot. Since Gold Road follows directly after the cliffhanger at the end of Necrom, new players will be left scratching their heads regarding plot sequencing without seeking a recap of events. Note that ESO itself lacks a comprehensive story summary of events. Even though there are lore books you can read in the game, we recommend you skim through Uesp.net for a comprehensive timeline of events through all of ESO’s expansions.

Well Over 30 Hours of Content

Strap in your gaming seats because Gold Road is perhaps the most meaty expansion yet. As with ESO’s previous major expansions, Gold Road’s story takes around 15 hours to complete. Of course, there’s also the Mirrormoor Incursions, Lucent Citadel, side dungeons, quests, six World/Delve bosses, and 10 item sets with numerous other collectibles to discover on top of that. And as previously mentioned, the new Scribe systems brings an all-new grind in the form of Grimoires and Scripts, which can really add up if getting you’re grabbing them for multiple created characters.

Monetization

It’s worth pointing out that ESO is a typical MMO in the way it monetizes its services. Crowns are the virtual currency used to purchase the usual store items ranging from cosmetics to combative gear, though these Crowns can be ignored if you’re not min-maxing post-game content regularly. Gold Road costs $39.99 by itself. You will need the base game in order to play the Gold Road expansion, but you can also purchase the full ESO collection in a bundle for $59.99. The Gold Road Collection includes the previous chapters: Necrom, High Isle, Blackwood, Greymoor, Elsweyr, Summerset, and Morrowind along with the base game, so this is the go-to edition for new players.

What Platforms Is Gold Road On?

Gold Road will be available on PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5. As with ESO and its other expansions, there is no way to play it on the Nintendo Switch. You can, however, play ESO and its expansions on Steam Deck if you want a handheld experience not lacking in the framerate or graphics department.

When Does Gold Road Come Out?

Because of its heritage as a PC-oriented MMO, Gold Road is releasing exclusively to the PC for its initial 2-week release window. Gold Road releases on June 3^rd for PC/Mac only, and then on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on June 18^th.

Destiny 2: The Final Shape

Say what you will about the Destiny franchise, but with all the ups and downs, shifting trends, studio problems and controversies, it’s still the top looter shooter. With The Final Shape, Bungie looks to conclude the near-decade-long Light and Darkness saga with new Light-based subclasses, Prismatic (combining many abilities into one subclass), a linear campaign and a hopefully memorable raid. It’s a tall order, and between all of the changes to Exotics, ability changes, new Exotics (including new class items) overhauling bounties in favor of the Pathfinder system and more, The Final Shape could be a memorable end leading to a promising beginning when it launches on June 4th. It will be available for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5 and PC.

Monster Hunter Stories

Limited to Nintendo 3DS, iOS and Android for years, the first Monster Hunter Stories is finally coming to modern-ish platforms on June 14th. Nintendo Switch, PS4, and PC players can dive into a world where humans and monsters coexist, working together as Rider and Monstie to overcome challenges. Combat is turn-based with three attack types, each overcoming the typical triangular fashion. The remaster sports all the title updates, full voice-acting, additional languages, improved character models, textures and lighting in HD, and even a Museum Mode.

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin

Once PS4 players are done enjoying the original, there’s Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin, launching on the same day. Players take ownership of the mysterious Razewing Ratha, an allegedly ruinous Rathalos. Journeying together and teaming up with other Riders, they seek to rid the world of raging monsters. With a more refined presentation, recognizable armor and weapons from the series, and extensive ways to cultivate and customize Monsties, Wings of Ruin promises a fun turn-based experience. It also benefits from all of the updates released to date, including a co-op quest against Fatalis.

Still Wakes the Deep

Dear Esther and Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs developer The Chinese Room is back with its latest survival horror, set on a drilling platform in 1975. The premise sees Caz McLeary struggling to survive against some unknown monster while navigating the platform’s various mechanical failures. That means navigating ruined walkways, traversing claustrophobic water-filled rooms, and much more. With The Thing, Suspiria and even the Southern Reach Trilogy as inspirations, Still Wakes the Deep promises a deeply personal and nerve-wracking horror experience when it launches on June 18th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

Perhaps the biggest release of the month, Shadow of the Erdtree is the first and only paid expansion for Elden Ring, launching on June 21st for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5 and PC. It sees players venturing to the Land of Shadow to pursue Miquella, discovering hidden truths (including an untold war) about the place and battling with new threats like Messmer the Impaler. With over ten new boss fights, multiple new weapon types, skills and armor, and a new region that’s larger than Limgrave with a “denser and richer level design”, it’s FromSoftware’s biggest expansion to date. Will it close the story on a high note? We’ll have to wait and find out.

Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD

Before there was the brilliance of Luigi’s Mansion 3, Dark Moon was the series’ peak. Fortunately, it’s coming to Nintendo Switch on June 27th as Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD. Featuring improved visuals in HD, Luigi must collect pieces of the Dark Moon to save Mario once more, utilizing the Poltergust 5000 to solve puzzles in more complex haunted mansions. You can also hop into the ScareScraper with up to three other players to tackle fresh challenges locally or online. Whether you’re reliving the masterpiece or playing for the first time, it should be another worthwhile addition to the Switch’s library.

Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble

Speaking of returns, Super Monkey Ball gets a new title on June 25th on Nintendo Switch, courtesy of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio. Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble features AiAi, MeeMee and the rest of the crew, including newcomer Palette, as they seek the Legendary Banana in Adventure Mode. Multiplayer supports up to 16 players online (or two locally), with modes like Race, Banana Hunt, Goal Rush and more. It even supports bots and offers more than 300 items to customize characters with.

Star Wars: Hunters

First announced in February 2021, Zynga’s Star Wars: Hunters actually soft-launched in late 2021 for mobiles. Multiple delays later, it’s finally getting a release on June 4th, enabling Nintendo Switch players to join the fray. As a free-to-play competitive shooter, players can choose from an array of bounty hunters divided into Tank, Support and Damage roles, with maps on Endor, and four unique modes. Whether it can survive as a hero shooter in this day and age remains to be seen, but it looks decent.

The Elder Scrolls Online: Gold Road

After bragging about offering the “equivalent of more than ten single-player games” with The Elder Scrolls Online, ZeniMax Online Studios is preparing for its next big expansion. Gold Road sees players venturing to the West Weald from Oblivion with locations like Skingrad, the Dawnwood and the Colovian Highlands to explore. Players can modify skills with the new Scribing system, which should help when embarking into new dungeons and the latest trial. The Elder Scrolls Online: Gold Road is out on June 3rd for PC, with the console versions launching on June 18th.

A Twisted Path to Renown

You’ve seen modern combat PvEvP extraction shooters, but Game-Labs’ A Twisted Path to Renown puts a Wild West spin on things. Entering early access on June 6th for PC, it sees players exploring the United States in 1899 with revolvers, double-barrel shotguns and even bows. Battle all kinds of threats, including hostile wildlife, while garnering reputation among vendors, earning better gear, and even engaging in some farming and mining. With realistic weapons and trading available at launch, it may very well be the freshest take on the genre yet.

ASKA

Whether you’re already done with Valheim’s new Ashlands update or just in the mood for a fresh survival crafting title, there’s Thunderful’s ASKA. Launching on June 20th for PC via Steam Early Access, the title allows up to four players to strike out as Vikings, building up their tribe, assigning jobs to villagers, customizing the layout and setting up defenses. They can also venture into the procedurally generated world with its dynamic weather system and discover various landmarks and resources. Launching in 2025, with two major updates forthcoming, ASKA may be worth checking out.

Kingdom Hearts Series (Steam)

Just when it seemed condemned to the Epic Games Store for life, the Kingdom Hearts series is finally coming to Steam on June 13th. Three titles will be available, though at least two are collections of individual games. Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX contains the Final Mix versions of Kingdom Hearts 1, 2 and Birth by Sleep, Re:Chain of Memories and all the cutscenes (plus some new ones) from 358/2 Days and Kingdom Hearts Re:coded.

These are in high-definition and offer a substantial amount for first-time PC players. Kingdom HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue contains a remaster of Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, a “film” of sorts based on Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover and Birth by Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage, a side story.

It all leads to Kingdom Hearts 3, the conclusion to the Dark Seeker saga, and Re Mind, with multiple new challenges and additional story content. Memory of Melody isn’t arriving, which is a bummer, but these three releases still offer the definitive Kingdom Hearts experience.

The Elder Scrolls Online: Gold Road will take players to the West Weald—a region on the border of Cyrodiil. The new zone is ruled by the Colovian Count Calantius, and is an independent nation allied with Cyrodiil’s Imperial forces.

The Elder Scrolls Online: Gold Road will be coming to PC on June 3, while PlayStation and Xbox players will have to wait until June 18 for the expansion.

Alongside Gold Road, Bethesda has also announced the new Scions of Ithelia dungeon DLC pack. The upcoming DLC, set for release on March 11 for PC players and March 26 for console players, continues where the story of Necrom left off, and will feature two new 4-player dungeons—Oathsworn Pit, and Bedlam Veil.