This month, Horns of the Reach is the first DLC released after the release of TESO: Morrowind. In an official preview, developer Zenimax has now taken a look at the innovations for the PvP battlegrounds: Chaosball and Arcane University.

In recent weeks, there has been a general preview of the first DLC Horns of the Reach for TESO: Morrowind, as well as a detailed view of the new dungeon falcon ring. Now developer Zenimax on the official side of The Elder Scrolls Online is taking a closer look at the innovations that affect the PvP Battlegrounds of TESO: Morrowind.

TESO: Horns of the Reach: New Chaosball Mode

If Update 15 and the DLC player expansion Horns of the Reach come, you will be able to play a new battlefield game mode as part of the regular "Grab Bag" queue: Chaosball. In Chaosball the goal is simple: snap and keep the "ball" as long as possible to earn points for your squad. The squad, which has the first 500 or most points when the time has expired, wins. Of course there is a catch, because it is not as simple as it is to hold the ball. While the other squads will try to snap it away from you, the ball itself will result in an impairment that affects healing and shields, resulting in unavoidable damage to yourself and members of the squad in your environment, which also increases with time.

While you are wearing the ball, you can use the skills of your character to defend and stay alive, but you should not drop the ball or pass it on to another player. This means that the one who carries the ball has it on lifetime - how short or long it may ultimately turn out to be!

TESO: Horns of the Reach: New Map Arcane University

The other great addition to the battlegrounds included in Update 15 is a new map, which Zenimax has also packed into the "Grab Bag" queue: the Arkane University. This arena takes place in the crumbling ruins of Cyrodiil, once a great educational institution, which was affected a long time ago by the break of Soulburst and the Daedric occupation.

The Arcane University is a little larger than the three original battleground maps, and with it, dangerous house battle by decaying buildings and other impairments of the line of sight. Then there is the vertical element. If you are inside the university itself, you reach the levels of the center of the building and use a series of portals (similar to those in Ularra) to teleport to the upper level.

This allows you to attack the enemy squads below and quickly get from one side of the map to the other. If you are clever, you will also find points of view from which skills like sparks can act as a quick-travel option from one side to the other, allowing your enemies to catch a snap.

But be careful, because these useful portals also have side effects: they can turn you into a ticking time bomb! Most of the time the portals glow blue, but at random intervals they appear red. Instead, those who use a red portal will get the "Mark of the Worm" that will explode your character after a short period of time causing severe damage. This damage will help you and your squad members, but will also hurt enemies nearby, which can be both a risk and an opportunity.

Are you overwhelmed by enemy adversaries? Bring the ultimate victim by grabbing the character and becoming a human bomb! Does a squad member return to the flag or protect the ball? Get the mark and keep away with him pursuers.

More about The Elder Scrolls Online is also available on our regular theme page for TESO: Morrowind.