The Elder Scrolls

The Elder Scrolls Online's Writhing Wall event has sparked some lively discussion among players, with reviews ranging from "awesome" to "abysmal". Here's a summary of what the community is saying about the event, the Solstice zone, and whether or not to snag the Content Pass. The Event: Phases, Participation, and Grind ⚔️

The Writhing Wall event is a three-phase storyline centered around tearing down the Wall and preparing for an assault against the Worm Cult.

Phase 1 is themed around preparation3. It involves repeatable daily quests like Crafting, collecting Items, gathering Vitrified Souls, and Defending a Siege Camp (the last of which is only available in Solstice for Content Pass owners).

Phase 2 is set to add additional dailies, rewards, and a new World Boss as the Worm Cult retaliates.

Phase 3 will bring more rewards and a public dungeon called the Writhing Fortress, focusing on finally breaching the wall.

The general sentiment on the event's current state (Phase 1) is mixed:

Positive Notes: Many find the event to be cooler than previous zone events. It's considered solid for leveling an alt and offers good XP with dailies. Players appreciate the high player turnout, the simple and easy participation, and the vibe in Solstice which includes dance parties and players helping each other. The concept of the whole server working together to tear down a wall was initially exhilarating.

Negative Feedback: A significant portion of the community finds the event repetitive. Phase 1 is described as abysmal and boring with reskinned dolmens, and critics claim it's just "a lot of boring busy work for low rewards". The current content is seen as a mundane overland grind with few challenges. There are also complaints about buggy elements, a lack of a merchant and banker in the camp, and some dailies being too long and boring.

Rewards and Drop Rates 🎁

Rewards for the event are available, including a mount, pet, furnishings, and style pages.

Notable Drops: The Coldharbor Estate house drop (normally 5600 crowns) is a major draw for the grind. You can also get new motif pages, skill styles, and furnishing plans.

Daily Rewards: Players can earn up to three gold boxes per account, per day, from the repeatable daily quests.

Controversy on Drops: The drop rates for desirable items like vitrified souls and other rewards are frequently criticized as inconsistent and ridiculously bad. The low drop rate can encourage a "compete for drops" mentality rather than cooperation, which disappoints some players.

Important Note: ALL rewards can be obtained after the event by Content Pass owners, as the Siege Camps will remain as ongoing incursions in Solstice. The only exclusive reward is the "Wallbreaker" title, available only during Phase 3. Furthermore, the market may become oversaturated with loot post-event, making style and motif pages potentially cheap to buy with gold. The Content Pass: Buy for the Event? 💸

It's crucial to understand what you're buying. You don't buy the event; you buy the Content Pass, which is a purchase for the remainder of the year's content.

Content Pass Includes:

    The new Solstice zone (located southeast on the map).

    A new Zone Story (11 quests) and side quests.

    4 Dungeons, 1 Trial (Ossein Cage), 6 Delves, 7 World Bosses, and 2 Public Dungeons

    New mounts, pets, collectibles, furnishing plans, and over 80 achievements.

    Access to the Solstice-specific elements of the Writhing Wall event.

Participation Without the Pass: You do not have to buy the Content Pass to participate in the Writhing Wall event. Players without the Pass can do almost everything in Phase 1, including three of the four types of repeatable daily quests, in base-game zones.

Verdict on Buying the Pass:

Don't Buy for the Event Alone: Many veterans and newer players strongly advise against buying the pass just for the Writhing Wall event, especially since Phase 1 is considered "pitiful" and "worse than past events" by some.

Consider Buying for the Full Content: If you want access to the Western Solstice zone, the full storyline, the Ossein Cage trial, and the other year-long content, the Content Pass may be worth it—especially if it's on sale.

Ultimately, the Writhing Wall event has proven to be a mixed bag. While the concept is great and the social atmosphere can be fun, the Phase 1 grind and inconsistent rewards have left many veterans disappointed. As Phases 2 and 3 are yet to fully roll out, some players are reserving final judgment, hoping they will offer the "harder bosses" and "dungeon-type content" that has been promised.

Find This And More: https://esoinfo.com/

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/36485631

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/35947199

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/33715053

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/33603470

Julian LeFay, 'Father of The Elder Scrolls,' Has Died Aged 59, a Week After Stepping Back From Game Development Due to Cancer - IGN By Tom PhillipsUpdated: Jul 23, 2025 9:07 amPosted: Jul 23, 2025 5:37 am 3–4 minutes "His strength, determination, and unwavering focus inspire us all."

UPDATE: Bethesda has now issued a statement on the passing of Julian LeFay, describing its former chief engineer as "the driving force in the creation of The Elder Scrolls and the foundations of Bethesda as a game studio".

"Without Julian, we would not be here today," Bethesda wrote, in an update shared on social media. "If you had the opportunity to work with Julian, you were blessed to know a one-of-a-kind force of nature, who pushed everyone to create something special.

"His work and spirit will live on both in our memories and in our games."

ORIGINAL STORY: Julian LeFay, Bethesda's former chief engineer known among fans as the 'Father of The Elder Scrolls' series, has died aged 59.

It was announced last week that LeFay, now co-founder and technical producer at OnceLost Games, had stepped back from game development after a lengthy battle with cancer, in order to spend time with his family and loved ones.

A statement from OnceLost Games, published today, has now confirmed LeFay's passing — "with profound sadness and heavy hearts".

"Julian LeFay was not just a colleague — he was a visionary who fundamentally shaped the gaming industry as we know it today," OnceLost Games' statement reads. "Known as the 'Father of The Elder Scrolls', Julian directed the creation of legendary titles including Elder Scrolls 1 and 2: Arena, Daggerfall, and Battlespire.

"His pioneering work established the foundation for open-world RPGs and influenced countless developers and games that followed." null Julian LeFay. Image credit: Shae Jensen/Julian LeFay.

Born in Denmark in 1965, LeFay began his career working on early Amiga and NES games, before becoming one of Bethesda's earliest employees in 1987.

After working on a string of Elder Scrolls titles, his career next took him to Sega, and then ultimately to found OnceLost Games in 2019 to develop a new open-world RPG, Wayward Realms, that was successfully pitched on Kickstarter as a Daggerfall spiritual successor.

"Throughout his courageous battle with cancer, Julian never wavered in his passion for The Wayward Realms," OnceLost Games' statement continues. "Even during his illness, he continued to share his vision with our team, mentor our developers, and ensure that every aspect of the game reflected his commitment to creating something truly extraordinary. His strength, determination, and unwavering focus inspire us all."

Development on The Wayward Realms will now continue under the guidance of fellow former Bethesda veteran and OnceLost Games co-founder Ted Peterson, the studio concluded, with its team "more committed than ever to bringing The Wayward Realms to life exactly as Julian envisioned it".

Image credit: Shae Jensen/Julian LeFay

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social

He directed and programmed The Elder Scrolls: Arena. For the spectacular sequel, The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall, he programmed, designed, and led the overall project. He worked in various roles on spinoff projects Battlespire and Redguard, as well as the absolutely timeless third mainline title, Morrowind.

For decades, fans have praised him as 'The Father of The Elder Scrolls'. Yesterday, the irreplaceable Julian LeFay passed away at the too-young age of 59.

Farewell To A Legend

In 2019, LeFay co-created OnceLost Games alongside fellow former Bethesda developers Ted Peterson Vijay Lakshman. LeFay had been directing an upcoming spiritual successor to Daggerfall, The Wayward Realms. Six days ago, producer Victor Villareal released a video revealing that LeFay had recently departed OnceLost Games due to a terminal cancer diagnosis.

The video, which included a touching statement from Peterson, explained that LeFay was stepping down from game development altogether in order to spend what time he had left with his loved ones. In a cruel twist that will leave so many of us reeling for years to come, Julian LeFay passed away just five days later.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/48125974

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/31953680

My brother animated this moment from Morrowind as part of the Chasm's Call 3D challenge. I did the sound edit/mix/design.

This 5-second clip took over a month to make, but it was worth it.

We've been slowly putting together ideas for a Morrowind film for years. Maybe we'll get lucky.