The Dark Heart of Skyrim looks to continue to bring you new stories with plenty of new content with the ESO Stonethorn update. You can expect to see a whole bunch of new features when the DLC drops, as well as various fixes with update 27.  So if its new stories, dungeons, and all the other things that makes ESO great that you are looking for, then read on.

In this article, we will discuss the following:

• What is in the ESO Stonethorn Update?
• What are the two new dungeons, and who is Lady Thorn?
• When will it be released?

So let’s first take a look at what fans can expect to come with the Stonethorn update.

What is in the ESO Stonethorn Update?

 In the ESO Stonethorn DLC, you will be able to venture out with your friends to build upon the narrative of the Harrowstorm DLC and Greymoor Chapter previously. It doesn’t mean to say that you have to have completed any of the other Dark Heart of Skyrim additions, and it can even be a great place for you to jump in for the first time.

Two New Dungeons

With the new update, we have two new dungeons, entitled Stone Garden and Castle Thorn. Players can also expect new item sets and collectibles to find. There’s new Dark Heart of Skyrim storylines for you to delve into, so if you have been following the story so far, or if you want to get caught up, then there is something for everyone to look forward to.

Performance and Balance Improvements

We also mentioned update 27, which is set to include a number of improvements to the game’s performance, as well as various balance changes and fixes set to be implemented. The update will also bring Homestead Character Pathing for the Housing Editor.

With the performance changes, the team behind the game are looking to make a number of adjustments that will see improvements made on item set abilities, plus fixes for server task messaging, and new critical memory management systems being brought in. The aim is to bring further stability to ESO, and make reductions to the load times. You should also be experiencing less performance drops and crashes.

Housing System Character Pathing

As we mentioned, there will be Character Pathing added to the Housing system, which allows you to build paths for your assistants, pets and mounts. You will also be able to select their walk speed, introduce delays, and decide on their locations for each path. This aims to give you a more realistic feel to your abode, courtesy of this latest update.

What are the two New ESO Stonethorn Dungeons?

The first of the two new dungeons is Castle Thorn. This will see the rise of a vampiric army, which will be led by the enigmatic Lady Thorn.

Who is Lady Thorn?

This powerful character leads the charge and serves as the keep’s master, and aims to march her forces to Western Skyrim. This is something that you will need to prevent, so you will be tasked with assaulting this vampire laden fortress. You must stop their advances and battle through the legions to stop the invasion once and for all.

Who is Arkasis?

Meanwhile, in Stone Garden, the makings of the insane Alcemist Arkasis from his hidden lab set the tone for the second dungeon. You will be exploring the caverns of Blackreach to face off against foes that you will never have experienced before. If you want to stop these new deadly concoctions from arising, then you must confront the alchemist himself and put a stop to him once and for all.

Regardless of which dungeon you delve into, you can expect plentiful excitement from these tasks for you and your group. You will be facing off against challenging bosses and monsters that aim to halt your progress in favour of their own wicked agenda. There will be new questlines, extra achievements, collectables and item sets for you to find along the way also.   

ESO Stonethorn Update Release Date

Having heard everything that is set to be on offer going forward, it just leaves the question of when will the Stonethorn update be released. The Dark Heart of Skyrim adventure is set to continue with Stonethorn on August 24th. The ESO Stonethorn DLC game pack will be available on PC/Mac, Xbox One, PS4, and Stadia. The previously mentioned update 27, which will introduce the performance fixes and more, is also set to release in tandem with the Stonethorn DLC.

Both the Stonethorn DLC and update 27 will also be coming to the Public Test Server (PTS), though this will only be available for players on PC/ Mac. If you happen to be one of these players who would like to gain access to the DLC in the PTS before it goes live, then firstly you need to open your ESO launcher. From there, head to the Setting menu, and then select Show Public Test Environment option. Once you find that it is available to you, then you will have to download the Public Test Server client. After the client has been installed, you are ready to play, and get a head start of all the action prior to the expansion’s release next month.

Conclusion

So we are just a month away now from the release of the ESO Stonethorn update. Will the launch date scheduled for the 24th of next month, it means we are just a matter of weeks away from checking out the latest DLC that Elder Scrolls Online has to offer. With two enticing new dungeons to explore, gripping stories and questlines to come, and the wealth of fixes and changes to be made, its an exciting time for sure for ESO fans.

The epic Dark Heart of Skyrim stories will soon continue and will push you and your team to new limits. Remember, if this is a starting off point for you, then there is still plenty for you to be getting involved with in ESO from Stonethorn. And hopefully it inspires you to explore the rest of what this selection of storylines has to offer you in the vast world of Elder Scrolls Online.