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The Elder Scrolls Online will launch “lag-free” promise Bethesda

The Elder Scrolls Online PvP is set in Cyrodiil.

The Elder Scrolls Online is out now; here’s our Elder Scrolls Online review.

Come launch day for The Elder Scrolls Online, no one will be (s)lagging it off for latency issues, provided Bethesda make good on their promise. In the run up to D-Day, developer Zenimax have been making the most of the data gained during beta testing to ensure servers are prepped for the huge initial blast of players throwing orcs and lizard people onto them. 

In a blog entry on The Elder Scrolls Online website, publisher Bethesda explain that scaled-up overflow servers are being used to cope with the projected player counts, whilst ‘megaservers’ will deal with the prime bulk of the game’s inhabitants.

“”We will make sure that no matter where you live, every player in North America, Europe, Oceania and many places beyond, will have a polished, lag-free launch experience. Based on the existing number of our beta signups and because we anticipate that the ESO community will continue to grow after launch, we plan to add capacity to keep up with demand in both our North American and European datacenters,” Bethesda said.

To keep a close eye on things, both North American and European megaservers will be hosted in America for the initial launch phase. Later, the European server will be relocated to Europe for its permanent datacentre to look after. Bethesda promise this won’t affect players at all.

Bethesda are all belts and bracers about the launch, despite having such megaservers ready to bear the brunt. “And just to be fully prepared, we are adding overflow servers in the event we get even more players on day one than we are now forecasting,” they explained. “If player demand overwhelms our planned capacity and a queue has to be formed, we will offer waiting players the option to begin playing right away on an overflow server. The overflow server is meant to be a temporary place where you can begin your adventure as you normally would – gain experience, items, achievements, etc. The character you create and everything gained as you temporarily play on an overflow server will transfer back with you when you log in the next time on the main megaserver.”

Being drafted onto the overflow server means you have to go without PvP play, friends lists and guilds, but it does at least mean that you can get going with your quest as soon as you land in Tamriel.

Of course, now we raise the question of if Bethesda really need all these megaservers. So far reception for The Elder Scrolls has been a little similar to Skyrim’s weather, with our own impressions being a resounding “mmm s’ok”. Then again, it does have ‘The Elder Scrolls’ printed on the box, so why take any notice of the press when there’s guaranteed quality in that brand, eh?