ESO Class Survey: Why It Matters, What It Asks, and 3 Ways ZOS Could Fix Class Identity & Immersion
Quick take: ZeniMax Online Studios opened a player survey on ESO’s classes. If you care about combat, class identity, and immersion, this is your shot to be heard. After breaking down what the survey asks, we share our candid take on where ESO drifted—and three clear options ZOS could take next.
Deadline & link: Fill out the survey by October 3, 2025 → Take the ESO Class Survey. (Elder Scrolls Online)
Why we’re talking about this
We love ESO. We came for the lore and stayed for the combat—but lately both feel uninspired. Subclassing promised flexibility, yet it blurs class identity and makes balance even harder. This article is our constructive take: here’s what the survey asks, how to think through your answers, and three practical paths ZOS could take to get ESO back to feeling cohesive and special.
What the survey actually asks (so you can prep fast)
After a few quick demographics, you’ll choose which classes you play and then answer a repeating set of questions for each selected class. Expect three kinds of prompts:
- Agree/Disagree (Likert) items around identity and design, e.g.
- Is there a clear design inspiration behind the class?
- Do skill lines and passives match the class theme?
- Does the class support a distinct playstyle?
- Can you reasonably tank / heal / DPS on this class?
- “Best at” multiple-choice (tanking, healing, damage—plus a catch-all “something else”).
- Effectiveness 1–10 (without subclassing) for tanking, healing, and damage.
- Open-text (optional, but important):
- Abilities you never want changed
- Abilities that should be rethought/reworked
- Any other feedback for that class
Tip: Treat the open-text boxes as your mini-essay. If you have broader thoughts about combat or class identity, put them in each class’s final text box so they don’t get lost.
(Factual note: The existence of the class survey and that it’s open through October 3, 2025 are confirmed by official ESO channels. See Sources below.) (The Elder Scrolls Online)
Our honest take on where ESO drifted
- Lore disconnects break immersion. When major story beats hand-wave past established outcomes, it undercuts the series’ biggest draw: Elder Scrolls’ cohesive worldbuilding.
- Subclassing diluted class identity. ESO already struggled to balance classes; layering multiclass-style systems on top magnifies that complexity.
- Combat feels unfocused and unbalanced without subclassing. Trying to be everything for everyone makes the “ice cream shop” taste like frying oil—novelty over nuance.
Three options ZOS could choose (and how they’d help)
Option 1: Sunset subclassing (re-center identity)
Ditch subclassing and let each class shine again. Require every class to maintain three clearly labeled trees—one for tank, one for heal, one for DPS—so design intent and balance targets are obvious. Alternatively, for this option only, require each skill/morph to have an assigned tank, healer, or DPS marker, not just some of them. Hybrid skills can have more than one assigned type and those skills would do a fraction of the healing, tanking or damage.
Alternatively, make it so each class can have a max of 2 types, so they are not too overpowered, and everyone has strengths and weaknesses.
Why it helps: Easier balance passes, stronger identity, clearer on-ramps for new/returning players.
Option 2: Keep subclassing, but enforce tree roles: Goodbye Class Identity
If subclassing stays, hard-separate role trees across the board. Each tree should be unmistakably Tank / Heal / DPS (skills, passives, ultimates). Players can still mix across classes, but they’re choosing role trees—not unfocused “grab-bags.”
Why it helps: Multiclass freedom remains, yet mix-and-match stays legible and balanceable.
Option 3 (our favorite): Hybrid “subclass tree”
You keep your base class’s trees. Subclassing adds a new hybrid tree themed around the two combined classes, deepening fantasy and identity rather than replacing it. Roll these out over time.
Examples we love:
- Dragonknight + Warden → Ashbringer (ultimate idea: Grove of Cinders—saplings erupt, heal allies, then combust to damage and apply Burning)
- Dragonknight + Sorcerer → Storm Knight
- Nightblade + Necromancer → Graverobber
- Sorcerer + Templar → Zephyr Paladin
- Templar + Necromancer → Exorcist
- Double-down options (e.g., Dragonknight + Dragonknight → Dragoon) add depth without muddling identity.
Why it helps: Identity gets stronger, not weaker. Roleplay fantasies blossom, balance targets remain clearer, and you unlock space for creative, thematic skills.
Class-by-class quick notes (our opinions)
- Templar: Old Jabs felt better; Ritual of Retribution should have a heal-and-damage option again. Please keep Radiant Oppression meaningful.
- Warden: Commit to plants and animals (druid fantasy). If Ice stays exclusive, consider giving Sorcerer meaningful Ice access, too.
- Nightblade: Return to stealthy burst roots; sharpen the assassination fantasy.
- Dragonknight: Tanking feels great; DPS likely needs number tuning—don’t lose identity.
- Arcanist: Don’t over-nerf. Its clarity helps new players; the beam has counter-play (interrupts).
- Necromancer: Lean into corpses, bone-shards. Re-examine the “giant bone colossus” ultimate pacing and risk/reward.
How to make your survey answers count
- Be specific. Name the skill, morph, or passive and what you’d change.
- Tie feedback to role clarity. If something belongs in a Tank tree, say so.
- Repeat big points in each class’s final text box. There’s no global “misc” field—make sure your broader feedback gets captured.
Call to action
If you’ve ever said “ESO doesn’t listen,” this is the moment to remove that excuse. Tell ZOS exactly what you want—before October 3.
👉 Fill out the ESO Class Survey (takes just a few minutes). (Elder Scrolls Online)
Sources (facts & official info)
- Official ESO News Post: “Share Your Thoughts on ESO’s Classes with Us” (includes the survey link). (The Elder Scrolls Online)
- Official ESO Forums (staff post): Survey is open to all players through October 3, 2025, with direct link to the survey. (Elder Scrolls Online)