The Elder Scrolls Online abbreviated ESO is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed by ZeniMax Online Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. It was released for Windows and macOS in April 2014. It is a part of the Elder Scrolls series. The game is set in the continent of Tamriel and features a storyline indirectly connected with the other games in the Elder Scrolls franchise. It had been in development for seven years before its release in 2014 with a mandatory monthly subscription model. It initially received mixed reviews.