Companion characters and followers are a staple of The Elder Scrolls games, allowing players to have a material-toting lackey by their side at all times to help offload the metric tons of cheese wheels and other assorted piles of loot. Players adore these admittedly flawed characters, oftentimes even falling into a variety of relationships with their digital companions. While there are plenty of lovable characters throughout The Elder Scrolls Online, the MMORPG has yet to introduce any truly immersive companions. The upcoming Blackwood chapter is set to change that with two new characters that will grow alongside players, aiding them in a variety of ways as they adventure through the slew of new content debuting in the Gates of Oblivion saga.

A recent preview from Gameinformer confirms that the companions won’t just be dead lifeless husks, but will instead have their own personalities that make them feel as though they truly are a companion ready to tackle whatever Tamriel has to throw at their ally. It was revealed in the past that the introduction of companions could potentially open the door for future relationships with in-game NPCs. While this won’t be a feature at the launch of Blackwood, the two companion characters, Mirri and Bastian, will be able to show growth in their own way. On top of being able to assign them with a variety of cosmetics, mounts, and gear, they’ll be able to use a variety of their own skills based on the type of role players want them to fill. Whether it’s being a Tank, a Healer, or a DPS character, players will be able to offset the issues they might face as their preferred class by changing their newfound companion’s role as they see fit.

The preview also shares that the new locale itself is fairly standard from what fans can expect out of an Elder Scrolls title, though within the Imperial City of Leyawiin where the players begin their journey in Blackwood, the NPC’s are particularly interesting. The haughty “better than you” attitude that seems to be all the rage with Imperials is definitely going to be present here, though the voice acting of each character combined with the new content should make for an interesting time. The surrounding area outside of the city is also teeming with life, an interesting contrast to the hellish plane of existence that awaits players beyond the gates of Oblivion throughout Blackwood.

It’ll be interesting to see things that players may remember from the days of Oblivion in a new light. The Blackwood chapter of the Gates of Oblivion saga in The Elder Scrolls Online is set to launch on June 1st for PC and Google Stadia players while Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5 will be able to join the fray on June 8th. Let us know your thoughts on the upcoming Blackwood chapter and more in the comments section below. As always, don’t forget to follow Don’t Feed the Gamers on Twitter for 24/7 coverage of all things gaming and entertainment.

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