ESO’s Western Solstice Zone Arrives June 2 with Part 1 of Seasons of the Worm Cult

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Elder Scrolls Online is expanding its world again with Western Solstice, the first major zone in the new “Seasons of the Worm Cult” saga. Launching June 2 for PC/Mac and June 18 on consoles, the new content is part of the 2025 Content and introduces a tropical setting that blends High Elf and Argonian cultures with a dark undertone of necromancy and conflict.

Western Solstice marks a rare addition to Elder Scrolls lore, introducing an entirely new island south of Black Marsh. Split by a magical barrier and rich in original factions, the zone is designed to the rise of the Worm Cult storyline, offering a setting both unfamiliar and steeped in Tamrielic tension.

The new Argonian faction, the Tide-Born, brings fresh traditions like the idea of finding one’s “destined scales,” a cultural twist unfamiliar even to Argonian veterans.
The island’s social fabric reflects past tension between long-standing Argonian inhabitants and more recent High Elf arrivals. Though current relations are peaceful, that peace is strained, with remnants of past conflict showing up in quests and lore fragments.

Western Solstice is packed with content beyond the story:

New quests, world bosses, and companion characters are spread across the island, including returning fan favorites and new faces with ties to existing lore.
Notable new enemies include the Voskrona Guardians and the Vahath Behemoth, a rolling monster that’s likely to become a standout in local encounters.
Players can explore locations like the haunted Corelanya Manor or a traveling wild carnival filled with offbeat events and collectibles.

Exploration comes with plenty of rewards:

New gear sets include the Three Queens Wellspring, which boosts Magicka Recovery based on your maximum Magicka, providing an incentive to stack the stat for double benefit.
Style pages, skyshards, achievements, and collectibles return, along with a new music box tied to an Argonian antiquarian and his codex entries.
And yes, a new sloth pet is included.

Western Solstice introduces a fresh visual and narrative style to ESO, expanding its cultural palette while pushing into more experimental world-building. With its mix of paradise and peril, it offers a different flavor of Tamriel for players to explore when Part 1 of the expansion drops in June.

Further reading: Official announcement