Elder Scrolls Online’s Combat Team dropped a bombshell developer letter on December 2, 2025, admitting what players have been saying for years – the game’s class system is fundamentally broken. The addition of subclassing in Update 46 exposed massive design inconsistencies that made pure single-class builds objectively weaker than hybrid builds. Now ZeniMax is planning a complete Class Identity Refresh that will modernize every class’s abilities, strengthen unique identities, and address the homogenization problem that’s plagued ESO since launch. This is the biggest balance overhaul in ESO’s history, and it starts rolling out in 2025.
What Subclassing Revealed
The developer letter doesn’t mince words – “As it stands, subclassing is objectively stronger than ‘pure’ classing by a large margin for several reasons. This is mostly caused by the vast differences in individual skill line designs. ESO was not built from launch with subclassing in mind, and the system highlighted issues with the current class skill line design that were not previously a factor but are untenable going forward.”
Translation: ESO’s classes were designed in 2013 with the assumption players would stick to one class. When subclassing arrived in 2025, letting players mix two classes together, it became obvious that some class skill lines are vastly superior to others. Players building hybrids could cherry-pick the best abilities from two classes while avoiding the weak ones. Anyone playing a pure single-class build was handicapping themselves by being stuck with good and bad abilities from the same tree.
This created the exact problem the community predicted when subclassing leaked. Forum users pointed out that without addressing underlying class balance issues first, subclassing would just make the strong classes stronger and expose the weak ones as even worse. ZeniMax went ahead anyway, and now they’re admitting the community was right all along. One forum comment sarcastically noted – “which is something that everyone has been saying since Subclassing leaked, and was fervently denied.”
The Three Core Goals
Modernize Class Abilities
The Combat Team wants to “refresh and modernize abilities, so they look and feel like the Arcanist.” This is a big deal. Arcanist launched in 2023 as ESO’s newest class with slick animations, clear visual effects, and cohesive design language. Compare that to Nightblade or Templar – classes from 2014 with dated effects, unclear telegraphs, and abilities that feel disconnected from each other.
Modernization means more than just prettier animations. It’s about clarity – players should instantly understand what an ability does from looking at it. It’s about satisfaction – abilities should feel impactful with proper audio and visual feedback. And it’s about cohesion – a class’s abilities should feel like they belong together thematically and mechanically. Arcanist nailed all three. The older classes need similar treatment.
Strengthen Unique Class Identities
Here’s where things get controversial. ESO launched in 2014 with distinct class identities, but player feedback pushed ZeniMax toward homogenization. The community demanded that every class be viable for every role – tank, healer, damage dealer. This meant giving every class access to similar tools, which inevitably made them feel samey.
The Class Identity Refresh aims to reverse this trend. Each class should offer a unique playstyle and power fantasy that differentiates it from others. The developer letter promises distinct identities for each class, though specifics remain vague. One forum user expressed excitement – “Class identity always felt like a weak spot for ESO. After the shaky launch, players drove the change to have every class be viable for every role, which inevitably led to substantial homogenization. I’m thrilled we are finally seeing a commitment to make every class offer a unique playstyle.”
The challenge is balancing uniqueness with viability. If Dragonknight becomes too specialized, will it become useless in content where its specialization doesn’t apply? If Nightblade’s identity is too narrow, does that lock out certain playstyles? ZeniMax needs to make classes feel different without making some objectively better for specific content.
Address Power Creep and Balance
The third goal tackles ESO’s longstanding power creep problem. Newer classes like Arcanist and Necromancer have more complex kits with built-in synergies. Older classes like Templar and Sorcerer have simpler designs that can’t compete at high levels of play. This gap widened with subclassing – hybrid builds combining new and old classes dominate because they avoid the old classes’ weaknesses.
The Combat Team plans to bring older classes up to modern standards rather than nerfing newer ones. This means adding depth and complexity to simpler classes while maintaining accessibility for casual players. It’s a delicate balance – make classes too complex and you alienate the MMO-lite audience ESO attracts. Keep them too simple and hardcore players feel bored.
The Rollout Plan – Class by Class
ZeniMax confirmed the refresh happens class by class rather than all at once. This immediately triggered concerns from the community. Forum user warned – “Are you insane doing that step by step? You do realize that means the first class getting its unique buffs, will outclass everyone else by far right? Especially in PvP we can look forward to DoT DKs crushing everything they want. For it to be any form of balanced, they all need to be changed at once.”
This criticism is valid. If Dragonknight gets its refresh first and becomes significantly more powerful, PvP becomes unplayable for other classes until they receive their updates. The same applies to PvE – if one class suddenly dominates DPS or healing after its refresh, group compositions will revolve around that class until the next one gets updated. This creates months of imbalance as each class takes its turn.
ZeniMax hasn’t addressed this concern publicly yet. The staggered rollout might be necessary from a development perspective – properly redesigning six classes simultaneously requires enormous resources. But from a player experience standpoint, it creates temporary metas that feel terrible to play against. Expect significant controversy when the first class refresh hits and dominates for weeks or months.
Which Classes Need It Most
Community consensus identifies Necromancer and Templar as the classes most desperate for overhauls. Necromancer has struggled since launch with clunky corpse mechanics, underwhelming damage, and lack of clear identity. One forum comment stated – “Also I feel like Necromancer should be looked at before Nightblade. Not that Nightblades don’t deserve a class update, but Necromancers need the change more in my opinion.”
Templar suffers from different problems – its kit feels outdated compared to modern classes, and its supposed healing identity has been diluted as other classes gained equally strong healing tools. The class lost uniqueness without gaining competitive power. Many Templar players have switched to other classes or retired entirely.
Sorcerer needs attention for similar reasons. While still viable, its identity as a heavily armored conjurer from traditional Elder Scrolls games got lost in ESO’s design. One forum user lamented – “While I’m not 100 percent sold on the current power fantasy descriptions (e.g., IMO, TES Sorcerer should have remained heavily armored Conjurors), I’m very much looking forward to this development!” This highlights tension between ESO’s interpretation of classes and traditional Elder Scrolls fantasy.
The Communication Improvement
Beyond the actual changes, the developer letter represents a significant shift in ZeniMax’s communication strategy. Forum users praised this transparency – “Awesome! Communication has certainly stepped up a tier recently, and it’s very much appreciated.” For years, ESO’s development team operated with minimal community engagement, dropping patches without explaining design philosophies or responding to feedback.
The Class Identity Refresh letter breaks this pattern. It acknowledges player concerns, admits mistakes, explains reasoning, and sets expectations for the future. This level of transparency builds trust even when the news isn’t entirely positive. Players can accept difficult changes if they understand why they’re happening and see a coherent plan.
This improved communication aligns with ESO’s 2025 roadmap shift toward named Seasons with variable content releases. The old annual Chapter model created rigid schedules that sometimes forced rushed content. The new approach lets teams work at sustainable paces and communicate more openly about development challenges. If the Class Identity Refresh maintains this transparency, it could improve community relations even during the inevitable balance controversies.
Timeline and Future Updates
The developer letter doesn’t provide specific dates for class refreshes. Based on ESO’s 2025 roadmap, expect the first class overhaul to arrive with one of the major seasonal updates – possibly in the Seasons of the Worm Cult content or later dungeon packs. ZeniMax typically tests major changes on the Public Test Server for 4-6 weeks before live release, so watch PTS patch notes for the first class to enter testing.
The staggered rollout means this refresh will define ESO’s meta for all of 2025 and possibly into 2026. Each class update will shake up PvP and PvE, requiring players to adapt builds and strategies. Content creators will have steady material as each refresh drops and the community theorycrafts optimal hybrid combinations. This creates ongoing engagement but also ongoing frustration for players whose classes haven’t been updated yet.
What This Means for New and Returning Players
If you’re considering starting or returning to ESO, the Class Identity Refresh creates both opportunity and uncertainty. On one hand, outdated classes will finally get modernized, making more options viable at endgame. On the other hand, the staggered rollout means picking the “wrong” class could leave you underpowered for months until your refresh arrives.
The Hero’s Return feature launching alongside subclassing helps returning players catch up with in-game rewards and guidance. Combined with the class refreshes, 2025 represents ESO’s biggest attempt to revitalize the player experience since the One Tamriel update. Whether this succeeds depends on execution – great communication means nothing if the actual balance changes make things worse.
FAQs
What is ESO’s Class Identity Refresh?
A complete overhaul of all Elder Scrolls Online classes announced December 2, 2025. The Combat Team will modernize abilities, strengthen unique identities, and address balance issues exposed by the subclassing system introduced in Update 46.
Why is this happening now?
Subclassing revealed that ESO’s classes have massive design inconsistencies. Hybrid builds combining two classes are objectively stronger than pure single-class builds, proving the underlying class design is broken and needs fixing.
Will all classes change at once?
No. The refresh happens class by class over time. This has sparked community concern that whichever class gets updated first will dominate PvP and PvE until others catch up, creating temporary imbalance.
Which classes need updates most?
Community consensus identifies Necromancer and Templar as most desperate. Both have struggled with outdated kits, lack of clear identity, and poor performance compared to newer classes like Arcanist.
What does modernize abilities mean?
Making older class abilities look and feel like Arcanist – clearer visual effects, better animations, more satisfying feedback, and cohesive thematic design instead of dated effects from 2014.
When do the class refreshes start?
No specific dates announced. Based on ESO’s 2025 roadmap, expect the first refresh during a major seasonal update, possibly in the Seasons of the Worm Cult content or later dungeon packs.
Will every class remain viable for every role?
Unclear. ZeniMax wants to strengthen unique class identities, which conflicts with the current design where every class can tank, heal, or DPS. Balance between specialization and flexibility remains unresolved.
Does this affect PvP balance?
Massively. The staggered rollout means whichever class gets refreshed first could dominate PvP for weeks or months until others receive updates. Expect significant meta shifts and balance complaints.
Is ESO improving communication?
Yes. The developer deep dive represents a shift toward transparency. Forum users praised the improved communication, noting it helps build trust even when announcing difficult changes.
Conclusion
ZeniMax Online Studios’ admission that Elder Scrolls Online’s class system is fundamentally broken represents a rare moment of honesty in MMO development. Most studios would quietly nerf overpowered combinations and buff underperformers without acknowledging systemic problems. Instead, the Combat Team published a detailed letter explaining exactly what’s wrong, why it happened, and how they plan to fix it. The Class Identity Refresh launching throughout 2025 will define ESO’s meta for years, either revitalizing the game or creating balance chaos depending on execution. The staggered rollout guarantees months of controversy as each class takes its turn getting overhauled while others wait. But the alternative – leaving classes broken because fixing them is hard – would be worse. Players have complained about homogenization, outdated abilities, and balance issues for years. Now they’re getting exactly what they asked for, along with all the messy complications that come with massive systemic changes. Check back throughout 2025 as each class refresh drops and the community discovers whether ZeniMax can actually pull this off.