ESO 2026 Chapter Revealed: ‘Sands of the Redguard’ - Everything We Know
The Global Reveal Event just concluded, and it’s official: The Elder Scrolls Online: Sands of the Redguard lands in June 2026. After years of teasing, we are finally getting a dedicated, full-sized Hammerfell chapter that connects the Alik’r Desert to Khefrem.
Here is the breakdown of the major announcements.
New Zone: Khefrem & The Hew’s bane Extension
The map is expanding south.
- Hub City: Currently unnamed, but it resembles a massive, high-fidelity version of Sentinel with verticality similar to Gonfalon Bay.
- Biomes: Not just desert! The developers showed off lush coastal oases and deep, Dwemer-infested canyons.
New System: Spellcrafting (Lite)?
While not the full spellcrafting from Oblivion, ZOS introduced “Arcane Tuning”.
- This allows players to modify the visuals and secondary effects of class abilities.
- Example: A Templar can tune “Puncturing Sweeps” to deal Bleed damage instead of Magic damage, changing the spear animation to a jagged red construct.
New Weapon Skill Line: Spears/Polearms
The community has begged for this since 2014. It’s finally happening.
- Role: Stamina/Magicka Hybrid.
- Playstyle: Mid-range melee. Focuses on keeping enemies at bay and piercing armor.
- Ultimate: Phalanx Formation – Summons a spectral wall of pikemen that pushes enemies back and grants Major Resolve to allies.
Companion: The Necromancer
We are getting a new companion, Azar the Defiler, a Redguard Necromancer who surprisingly hates undead but uses their power out of necessity. His perk increases loot from urns and tombs.
Release Date
- PTS: April 20, 2026.
- PC/Mac: June 8, 2026.
- Console: June 22, 2026.
This chapter feels like a return to “grounded” fantasy after the cosmic stakes of recent years. The focus on political intrigue between the Crowns and Forebears is a welcome change of pace.
