PEOPLE searching for a Caerphilly borough town may see something unusual in their search results.

A Google search of Blackwood brings up not only information about the town, but also the Elder Scrolls franchise, after the latest expansion of the Elder Scrolls Online game was named Blackwood.

Although released in June, the update has recently been attracting more attention after a heavy social media campaign.

The Elder Scrolls is a popular fantasy video game series made by Bethesda which includes the likes of Skyrim and Oblivion. The Elder Scrolls Online is a massive multiplayer online (MMO) role playing game (RPG) made by their parent company Zenimax Media that takes place around the world created by the main franchise.

The events in The Elder Scrolls Online take place before the first Elder Scrolls game.

The chapter relating to Blackwood sees players enter the realm of Tamriel, particularly Cyrodiil, Black Marsh and Elsweyr – areas that may be familiar to those who have played The Elder Scrolls: Arena and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

The Elder Scrolls Online art director, CH Grebb, said: “Blackwood bridges the gap between the idyllic hills and deciduous forests of Cyrodiil and the low-lying swamps and marshes of Black Marsh.

“The northern region is prone to periodic flooding from rivers that flow down to the Nibenay Bay, and long-abandoned settlements and ruined castles dot the landscape, a testament to nature’s ultimate power.

“We were happy to get a chance to explore the rolling hills and deciduous forests of the Nibenay Valley, an environment which will be familiar to the brave souls who spend much of their time in Cyrodiil.

“However, distance from the Three-Banners War has afforded a pocket of calm, and the forest will offer nature lovers longer stretches of undeveloped (yet still dangerous) woods to explore.”

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The chapter on Blackwood provides more than 30 hours of gameplay content with six delves (type of dungeon), two public dungeons, six world bosses, a 12-player trial and the new Oblivion Portal world events.

It is a world away from the real-life Blackwood. There is the chance to explore the wilderness, castle ruins and the cities of Leyawiin and Gideon, ancient Argonian temples and mysterious Daedric vaults as well as sunken ruins, Ayleid structures and Imperial cultures.

A number of creatures are also able to be encountered including death hoppers, bog dogs, wamasus and bog fiends alongside the residents of the cities.

Jason Barnes, lead on Blackwood’s Zone, said: “The local inhabitants of Blackwood include an assortment of races and cultures who have found their way to Blackwood for different reasons.

“The citizens of Layawiin, for example, is comprised of Imperials, Argonians, and even Khajiit from the bordering region of Elsweyr, all wishing to live in peace.

“The Imperials within Blackwood have accepted their division from the main Empire and wish to lead normal lives – even if it seems like all odds are against them. The Argonians of this region are more adventurous than their cousins from their homeland, and the city of Gideon acts as a border of sorts that allows the Argonians of Black Marsh to venture out of the marshes into safe lands.”

When the player arrives, strange and sinister forces are threatening the region, to add to the concerns of being dragged back into the war for Cyrodiil.

“Allying with the Argonian-led city of Gideon, the city of Leyawiin has recently claimed their independence after being invaded during the Three-Banners War, however, in other areas, tensions are high,” said Mr Barnes.

“Mysterious cults have sprung up throughout the land, and unusual vault-like Daedric formation have emerged with no explanation of their origin or purpose.”

The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood is out on PC/Mac and Stadia* and on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5 now.

*Available only in limited territories.