Customize your knowledge of the new Subclassing system with this developer deep dive.
Customize Your Class
When the Update 46 base-game patch arrives June 2 for PC/Mac and June 18 for Xbox and PlayStation consoles, all ESO players can further customize their characters with the new Subclassing system.
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The team wants this new system to further bolster one of the game’s core elements: play your way. Subclassing allows you to replace up to two of your native class skills lines with those from other classes for your current build.
“Honestly it’s something we’ve talked about for a long time … a really long time,” explains Brian Wheeler, ESO’s Lead Combat Designer. “Subclassing leans into the core Elder Scrolls tenet that allows you to build your character how you want, with all the options available in the game.”
“In ESO, players can change their appearance, names, races, and even faction, but this has not been true with class,” notes Carrie Day, one of the Systems Designers behind the Subclassing system. “If players wished to experience other classes and their combat capabilities, they were forced to create a new character. With the Subclassing system, we really want customization to give players more control over their player fantasy.”
Further customize your builds with Subclassing
There’s a lot of different types of ESO players, and whether you’ve principally stuck to one character throughout all your adventures or have maxed out your character slots, the Subclassing system will be of interest to you.
“We wanted to introduce a way to allow our players to expand their experiences and try out all the different class skill lines we have introduced since launch,” says Day. “Players who have played on multiple classes and characters will also need to think about these skill lines, and how they might be combined, totally differently than they have for the last 11 years.”
Keeping Subclassing Simple
When the Subclassing system arrives with Update 46, almost everyone can pick up and start experimenting with it easily since it requires only a single character on your account to be level 50.
"There’s a very short quest that on-ramps you to the system, and then you’re off and running,” explains Wheeler. “It should take you about five to 10 minutes at the most going through the tutorial.”
Unlock Subclassing with a short quest
“As there are now 21 total skill lines you can unlock and play on your account, it will be a long-term project to max all of them out,” says Day. “However, there is also a new champion star, called Disciple's Artisan, to help you level your skill lines faster."
Once utilized, your new skill lines will look and behave like any other class skill lines you have experienced previously.
“One of the primary questions early on was what should a subclassed player have access to? Should it include all of a skill line’s passives, abilities, and ultimate? Should the abilities function differently if subclassed or not? We decided to maintain continuity between the abilities so your experience with the skill lines is consistent. This also gives value to our long-term players who already know abilities and makes it easier to jump straight into the system.”
Subclassing offers many options
Meta and Class Identity
Subclassing offers a whole new way to play if you want to engage. However, player choice remains at the forefront of ESO’s design philosophy—including the choice to keep your character as it is now.
“We know the Subclassing system will infuse power into the player community. For example, players can drop their tank and support skill lines for more damage-dealing abilities and passives,” notes Day. “However, there is a trade-off—by taking all damage skill lines, you are more reliant on your team for support healing, shielding, and protection. Also, there is no desire to reduce the effectiveness of pure classes and their ability to complete content, and overall, the system should make the content more accessible to all players.”
Oops all pets build coming soon!
You might wish to push the limits of subclassing to the max, or maybe you’re attached to your character’s class and playstyle. Fortunately, this system allows you to use as much or as little as you like.
“Class identity is still important for key aspects of our game: Achievement, class styles, class scripts, class item sets, and so much more,” Day emphasizes. “If you wish to have two or more skill lines of a class, you must be that class. You can keep your character pure and continue to complete content as you have before, but you are still locked into that character creation decision.”
Become the light of death
Of course, with a change of this magnitude, there are balance concerns, but the team is prepared for what may come.
“In general, with more options comes more combinations, which can lead to different capabilities beyond what players had prior to the Subclassing system,” Wheeler explains. “That’s something we’ll monitor while also looking for outlier combinations of abilities and item sets, so the game’s content isn’t suddenly a lot easier to complete. We will be looking at feedback as always, and we plan to make adjustments as needed after we go live.”
Your Hero, Your Way
When it comes to builds and playstyles, a lot of new options are on the horizon, and many decisions must be made.
“My personal first subclassing build will be to modify my March 30, 2014, Templar to be a duality of life and death,” says Day. “I want to incorporate the Grave Lord skill line into my magicka Templar rotation, which has been a lot of fun in playtesting already.”
“I may snag the Sorcerer’s Storm Calling skill line for my main, so I can get a bit more offense and movement with the Streak ability,” says Wheeler. “Honestly, I’m just excited we’ll have all the options out there!”
How will the Subclassing system change your builds? What class combinations will you try out first? Let us know via Bluesky, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook.
The Subclassing system is free for all players and arrives as part of the Update 46 base-game patch on June 2, 2025, for PC/Mac and June 18, 2025, for Xbox and PlayStation consoles.
