Wizards and Warlocks, Elfs and Fairies prepare to rejoice, Bethesda’s Elder Scrolls universe is growing once more.

Bethesda Softworks and Zenimax Online Studios have teamed up to bring another corner of the Skyrim world to life. Elder Scrolls Online brings hard core adventuring to the masses, online. As the first incarnation of an Elder Scrolls MMO – Massively Multi-player Online – Zenimax has taken upon themselves a mighty challenge.

Elder Scrolls Online brings together the unmatched exploration of rich worlds that the franchise is known for with the scale and social aspects of a massively multiplayer online role-playing game.

Set in the Elder Scrolls universe, a 1000 years prior to Skyrim, in the land of Cryodill just a little to the south of Skyrim. Zenimax will help us all discover an entirely new chapter of Elder Scrolls history in this ambitious world.

The game itself will be played in 3rd-person and offer a hotbar to activate skills just like any other MMO. The game also uses MMORPG genre standards such as classes, experience points, and other traditional MMORPG progression mechanics. Presented around the core fantasy of the traditional Elder Scrolls games it will continue many of the Elder Scrolls traditions including incredible journeys, righting wrongs and seeking riches. With a blend of solo quests, public dungeoning, and some player versus player action ESO should take the Scrolls tradition in a new direction.

“We have been working hard to create an online world in which players will be able to experience the epic Elder Scrolls universe with their friends, something fans have long said they wanted,” director Matt Firor said in a press release on Thursday. “It will be extremely rewarding finally to unveil what we have been developing the last several years. The entire team is committed to creating the best MMO ever made and one that is worthy of The Elder Scrolls franchise.”

Bringing the Elder Scrolls universe to life one more time, Zenimax have high standards to measure up to. Due in 2013 expect magic and mythology to come to life in the struggle for power. Alliances will be built, no one hero can offer justice to a world immersed in darkness, many hero’s will be required to work as one, in order to defeat the powers of darkness.

Reference: Elder Scrolls Online