Choose The Elder Scrolls® Online
Choose The Elder Scrolls® Online if you want the Online PvP, Online Co-op, and PvP side of the pairing. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. 73,647 Steam reviews back the pick.
The Elder Scrolls® Online vs Ragnarok: The New World
The Elder Scrolls® Online and Ragnarok: The New World both land in Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer on Steam. The Elder Scrolls® Online (2017) is 9 years older than Ragnarok: The New World (2026). Ragnarok: The New World is free; The Elder Scrolls® Online is paid (19.99 USD). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Ragnarok: The New World
Choose Ragnarok: The New World if you want a Free To Play game with Keyboard Only Option, Mouse Only Option, and Save Anytime. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Ragnarok: The New World launched in 2026.
Both The Elder Scrolls® Online and Ragnarok: The New World sit in Action, Adventure, and Massively Multiplayer on Steam and both list Multi-player, MMO, and Camera Comfort, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 The Elder Scrolls® Online |  Ragnarok: The New World | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2026 |
| Genres | Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG | Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG, Free To Play |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 19.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 81.6% positive (73,647 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer |
| Developers | ZeniMax Online Studios | Gravity Game Vision Limited |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer on Steam.
- The Elder Scrolls® Online (2017) is 9 years older than Ragnarok: The New World (2026).
- Ragnarok: The New World is free; The Elder Scrolls® Online is paid (19.99 USD).
- The Elder Scrolls® Online has co-op; Ragnarok: The New World does not.
- The Elder Scrolls® Online is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Ragnarok: The New World has no Deck rating yet.
The Elder Scrolls® Online vs Ragnarok: The New World — FAQ
- Should I play The Elder Scrolls® Online or Ragnarok: The New World first?
- If you want chronology, The Elder Scrolls® Online (2017) came out before Ragnarok: The New World (2026). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are The Elder Scrolls® Online and Ragnarok: The New World similar?
- They overlap on Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Is Ragnarok: The New World free?
- Yes — Ragnarok: The New World is a free-to-play Steam title. The Elder Scrolls® Online is paid (19.99 USD).
- Does The Elder Scrolls® Online run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — The Elder Scrolls® Online is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Ragnarok: The New World doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.