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The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood is set 800 years before Oblivion, adds companions

Friends with benefits.

Bethesda has unveiled The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood, 2021's story chapter for the MMO set 800 years before the events of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion.

Players are tasked with uncovering the schemes of the Daedric Prince Mehrunes, the big bad boss of Oblivion. The fancy CGI teaser trailer is below:

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Bethesda says Blackwood contains more than 30 hours of new main storyline, loads of side quests, quality of life features and, for the first time ever in ESO, companions who will adventure through Tamriel alongside the player in a similar style to those in Bethesda's single-player The Elder Scrolls games.

The new chapter also includes locations from Oblivion, such as the walls of the Imperial City of Leyawiin. You'll also see the murky bogs of Shadowfen, and as you'd expect, the region of Blackwood, where you uncover the Daedric plot.

There's a new Rockgrove Trial, Oblivion Portal World Events, and unique Chapter-specific rewards, Bethesda said.

Blackwood's first chapter release is set for 1st June on PC and 8th June on consoles.

But before then, ESO gets a March dungeon DLC called Flames of Ambition. This is due out 8th March for PC, Mac and Stadia, and 16th March for PlayStation and Xbox consoles.

Flames of Ambition opens the year-long Gates of Oblivion story, with new dungeons that reveal the threat of Mehrunes Dagon and lead players directly to the Blackwood chapter story in June.

Bethesda teased the end-of-year story DLC, which sends players into the Deadlands, Mehrunes Dagon's personal realm of Oblivion.