The Elder Scrolls Online’s Console Debut Plagued by Major Issues

After more than a year in delays, the PS4 and Xbox One versions of The Elder Scrolls Online have launched to a rather choppy start.

Destructoid reports that many players are encountering serious issues when trying to login to the console versions of The Elder Scrolls Online. This MMORPG was originally scheduled for a June 2014 release for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One (the PC version launched on April 4, 2014). Zenimax Online Studios announced that the console versions of the game would be hit with a six month delay. After those six months passed, Zenimax again delayed the game's PS4 and Xbox One versions. In the meantime, diminishing subscriptions for The Elder Scrolls Online resulted in Bethesda abandoning the paid subscription requirement for the game, rebranding it as The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited, which offers an optional paid subscription in place for those who would like extra bonuses for their characters. Most paid subscription-based MMORPGs on the market other than Final Fantasy XIV and World of Warcraft have had to undergo a similar transition.

Now that the console versions have finally launched, players are encountering some major issues preventing them from logging in, which means they're completely locked out from the game. There are also multiple bugs being found that make crucial, quest-related NPCs disappear entirely and other errors that kick players offline for chat-spamming without ever sending a single message.

Here's what Zenimax representatives had to say about some of these issues:

Hey guys,

We are aware that some of you are still seeing the following error message when attempting to login to the game: "Login Error: An unexpected error has occurred." This error message is due to the overwhelming demand for ESOTU and the high volume of traffic currently hitting our login servers.

We understand this is frustrating, but we encourage you to continue to try logging in until you reach a screen stating that you've been placed into a queue. Once you're in the queue, please do not leave the queue, close the game client, or otherwise navigate away from this screen. We’re working to get you into Tamriel as quickly as we can. Thanks for your continued patience and support!

After hosting a massive beta for the PS4 and Xbox One version of the game along with the extra year Zenimax had in working on the console editions, this is starting to get ridiculous. On the other hand, we do understand that every MMORPG's launch is shaky, especially for consoles. We just hope that Zenimax is able to iron out these problems soon.