The Elder Scrolls Online: August's Lineup, From Sheogorath to Bethesda's 40th and a Month of PvP
A packed month in Tamriel: Sheogorath's campaign, a free gift and a sale for Bethesda's 40th anniversary, Update 51 hitting the PTS, and weeks of PvP with rewards on the line.
August is a busy one in The Elder Scrolls Online. ZeniMax has lined up a month that blends reward campaigns, Bethesda's 40th anniversary — complete with a free gift and a sale — an early look at Update 51 on the test server, and several weeks of PvP with bonuses on offer. If you'd let the game gather dust, this is a good month to log back in.
Sheogorath Takes a Holiday (July 29 – August 12)
The Golden Pursuits campaign starring the Daedric Prince of Madness is still running. Completing its activities — mainly by playing the new Sheogorath questline — earns gold, armor pieces, and a custom action themed after Uncle Sheo himself. It's a fun way to kick off the month, and it comes with fresh story content to boot.
Bethesda's 40th: A Gift and a Sale (July 30 – August 13)
Bethesda Softworks is turning 40, and it's celebrating with every ESO player. Redeem the code Bethesda40 via your account page or the in-game redeem option (inside the Crown Store) before August 12, 2026, and you'll get 2,000 Trade Bars sent straight to your mail. That's enough to grab items from Season One's Gold Coast Bazaar, like the Alchemy houseguest or the Ascendant Lord Statue. There's a limit of one redemption per account and a capped total, so don't sit on it.
Running alongside it is the anniversary sale: the Standard Edition is up to 75% off and the Deluxe Edition up to 50% off (PC only). Standard includes the full base game with five classes, 27 zones, and access to the PvP modes; Deluxe adds content from past Chapters plus the 2025 Content Pass. Per-platform details and dates live on the official buy page.
Update 51 Hits the PTS (August 3)
The PC/Mac Public Test Server (PTS) gets Update 51 so players can put upcoming Season One and Season Two content through its paces. It's your chance to try the new solo content and in-game events before they hit live servers, and to get a look at what's on the way. If you like tinkering early and giving feedback, this is your window.
A Month of PvP: Whitestrake's Mayhem and Deathmatch
PvP eats up a good chunk of the calendar. During Whitestrake's Mayhem (August 5–12), players clash in Cyrodiil, the Imperial City, and Battlegrounds for bonus Alliance Points, XP, and Tel Var Stones, plus fragments of the Colovian War Torte recipe. Heads up: this event no longer grants Trade Bars. Later, the Deathmatch Spotlight (August 19–26) brings a Battlegrounds mini event with bonus XP and AP in the straight-for-the-kill mode.
Golden Pursuits — Straight to the Crate (August 20 – September 17)
The month closes with a new Golden Pursuits campaign aimed at Crown Crate fans: completing a wide variety of activities can net you up to 20 free crates before it wraps. The finer details drop when it kicks off on August 20.
Between escorting a Daedric Prince and going toe-to-toe with other players, August offers plenty of reasons to swing through Tamriel. With the anniversary gift on a countdown and PvP split across two windows, it pays to plan ahead — several of these dates won't come back around.
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