The Elder Scrolls Online is getting a new, major story chapter on 2 June 2025, inviting players to enjoy a whole new world of pain. Seasons of the Worm Cult Part 1 will kick off a two-part event that introduces new features to the game, while also inviting players into a complex new area defined by tense alliances, and the dominance of the titular Worm Cult.
So, what’s the story? Per ZeniMax Online Studios, Seasons of the Worm Cult is a sequel to the base ESO story that’s been ten years in the making. For those unfamiliar, the base game story introduced the Worm Cult – “irredeemable, power-mad megalomaniacs” – many years ago, and told of their eventual defeat. Now, after years away, plotting and planning, they’re back to wreak havoc on the isle of Solstice.
Solstice is a Mediterranean-inspired tropical island which is the focus of Seasons of the Worm Cult. Due to the nefarious and mysterious plans of this cult, the island has been split in half by a magical “Writhing Wall” and it’s up to players to work out the secrets of this force, and restore peace on the island.
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As well as the threat of the Worm Cult, players will also be dealing with tensions between the native Altmer (High Elves) and Argonians that call Solstice home. The Stirk Fellowship (an alliance made of those from the Fighters and Mages Guilds) also plays a key role in events, with players going between all of these factions to determine a path forward.
The ever-present Daedric Prince Sanguine operates in the background of this conflict, which should complicate your path even further. With so many strong forces at loggerheads in Seasons of the Worm Cult, the wick has been lit – and it’s your job to ensure the bomb doesn’t go off.
Subclassing is coming to The Elder Scrolls Online
If all of this wasn’t enough to deal with, players can rest assured there’s plenty of other things going on in The Elder Scrolls Online in June 2025, including the arrival of the long-anticipated subclassing feature. This will arrive within Update 46, a free base game update for everyone.
Subclassing, as detailed by ZeniMax Online Studios, is a way for players to create new character classes, by adopting skill lines for multiple different classes. When creating a new character, players will need to pick one skill line from their chosen class, and then they can mix and match skill lines from other classes. For example, if you’re an Arcanist, you need one Arcanist skill line. Then you can add a Warden or Necromancer skill line, if you like.
There are some additional requirements worth noting.
How to subclass in The Elder Scrolls Online
You will need to have a Level 50 character attached to your account before you can start subclassing. This is so you’ve got experience in your chosen skill lines, and how combat works, before you start experimenting.
If you do have a Level 50 character – and it can be any character on your account – you’ll be able to head to the Crown Store to unlock a new Quest Starter titled A Study in Discipline. Take on this quest, follow the quest markers, and you’ll eventually be able to unlock the subclassing ability. You will need to level up new skill lines from scratch, so the process for subclassing will be a bit slower than normal.
Once you’ve taken stock of this system, you can head over to Solstice to begin your first forays into the story of the Worm Cult’s mysterious return (as long as you’ve got the ESO 2025 Content Pass or 2025 Premium Edition).
The Elder Scrolls Online: Seasons of the Worm Cult and Base Game Update 46 both launch for PC on 2 June 2025, and for consoles on 18 June 2025.
