In today’s world it’s pretty tough to keep a secret, so it’s hardly surprising that mere hours after it’s announcement as the cover story for the June edition of Game Informer, the first details of Bethesda’s new MMO The Elder Scrolls online have appeared, courtesy of a leaked digital version of the magazine.

Out of respect I’m not going to be publishing the screenshots of each page nor the article in its entirety because the writers at Game Informer have to earn their pay somehow, so for the full article you can either go find the screenshots yourself or you can actually purchase the magazine. However, I still couldn’t resist covering a few of the major points made in the magazine as well as posting two harmless screenshots of the game in action. Sorry Game Informer!

– The game’s story takes place a millenium before the events in Skyrim.

– There will be three distinct alliances to choose from and join, each of which will have three races to choose from. The Ebonheart Pact is made up of Nords, Dark Elves and Argonians. The Aldmeri Dominion is composed of the High Elves, Wood Elves and Khajiit. The final alliance, the Daggerfall Covenant, is made up of Bretons, Redguard and Orcs.

– The ultimate goal is to take control of the Imperial City and crown your most accomplished player as Emperor. Pretty damn cool! Although being Emperor confers no special powers, it’s just about bragging rights.

– Crafting, alchemy and Soul Gems will all be present.

– Vampires and werewolves will also be present in the game, although you will not be able to either yourself as their powers and skills would be too hard to balance in an MMO.

– The Imperial City in Cyrodill, Windhelm, Daggerfall, Sentinel, Mournhold, Ebonheart, Elden Root, Shornhelm, Evermore, Riften and many other locations will be in the game.

– The Daedric Prince Molag Bal is one of two primary antagonists in the game, alongside Mannimarco, the King of Worms.

– Hardcore Elder Scrolls fans may be angry at the concessions Zenimax are making to translate the Elder Scrolls series into an MMO

– Joinable guilds will be in the game. Playing through their stories and gaining reputation with them will unlock new perks, skills and abilities for you to use.

– The primary method of gaining reputation in the fighters guild is by destroying Dark Anchors sent by Molag Bal to drag Tamriel into his dark realm. These massive hooks plummet from the sky and attach chains to the earth itself.

– There will be massive 100 v 100 player battles to take control of keeps around the world. These battles will also include massive controllable siege machines such as trebuchets that players can take control of to smash the keeps walls. The defenders will also have trebuchets and such for defense.

– Zenimax estimate around 120-hours to reach the level cap, although that will vary wildly depending on personal playstyle, what you choose to do etc.

– The game will be classed based rather than the free-form system used in Skryim

– Combat will be built around stamina which can be used to negate stun effects and more.

 

Alright, so that’s all you’re getting! Be sure to pick up a copy, physical or digital, of Game Informer’s June issue so you can get all the juicy details on this rather special looking game. Also be sure to keep an eye on Game Informer’s website where they’ll be putting up plenty more information on the game in the coming months.