The Elder Scrolls Online adds Crown Crates, new mounts and ice wolf pups

After a rocky start, Zenimax's flagship multiplayer, The Elder Scrolls Online, has steadily found its feet. Dropping its subscription model, and introducing features such as the Thieves Guild and Dark Brotherhood have gone a long way in making it one of the best MMOs around. Its latest batch of goodies focuses on the Crown Store—ESO's in-game marketplace. 

As of today, Crown Crates will be added to the Crown Store which contain a "randomised selection of useful consumables and collectibles that are valued more than the price of a single crate." Within these crates, players stand a chance of gaining unique cosmetic items, pets and/or mounts, as well as items you may have missed in expired limited edition offers. 

"Whenever you purchase a Crown Crate, you will always be awarded four items, with the chance to get a fifth item," reads an update post on the ESO blog. "In the event you receive a mount, pet, costume or personality that you already own from your Crown Crate, you'll be awarded a new resource—Crown Gems—in its place. You will also have the option to convert several items obtained from Crown Crates to Crown Gems any time you want."

The post continues to say items that can be manually traded include utility-type items, such as: potions, poisons, riding lessons, and experience scrolls, among other things. Each Crown Crate will be tied to a "special season" to be cycled quarterly. Storm Atronachs mark the first season, which can be viewed in this gallery: 

Furthermore, the Crown Store's December showcase adds a host of costume upgrades, crafting options, and mounts—such as the Great Elk and Ice Wolf. Full details on the specifics can be found this way. A limited edition White River Ice Wolf Pup will be available between December 8-12. Cute.