The ESO Rumors System arrived with Update 51 on September 28, 2026, introducing mysteries that players must solve by exploring Tamriel and following clues rather than relying on ordinary quest markers. Investigations can begin with something as simple as a broadsheet in a town, eventually leading to hidden objects, characters and locations that reveal the next part of the story.
Getting started is straightforward once you know where to go, but discovering additional Rumors is less obvious. The ESO Rumors System has its own Journal interface, three investigation categories and several ways to uncover mysteries. There have also been some launch issues involving missing objects and interactions, so knowing the difference between an intentionally hidden clue and a broken investigation is particularly helpful.
How to Unlock the ESO Rumors System
To unlock the ESO Rumors System, open the Crown Store and select Quest Starters. Find the free introductory quest Rumors Abound and accept it.
You can also begin by travelling to Daggerfall in Glenumbra. Head towards the southern docks and look for Tilli the Gossip, an Orc who introduces the investigation system.
The introduction explains how Rumors differ from regular quests and familiarises you with the clues recorded in your Journal. Once you’ve started investigating, open the Quest Journal and switch from the standard Quests view to Rumors.
This separate section is where you’ll find your investigations, their acquisition hints and the information you’ve uncovered.
Where to Find Your First ESO Rumors
Rumors are discovered through information and objects scattered across Tamriel. Unlike ordinary quests, you won’t always find a character standing beneath a quest marker waiting to give you an objective.
One of the first things worth looking for is a broadsheet, which can introduce a mystery through a notice or piece of local information.
Players testing Update 51 identified several starting points for early investigations:
- The Beriel Heirloom: Broadsheets in Daggerfall, Wayrest, Evermore and Northsalt Village.
- Looking for Love: A broadsheet in Auridon, associated with the Vulkhel Guard starting area.
- House Terethi: A broadsheet in Stonefalls, associated with the Davon’s Watch starting area.
These locations were documented during Update 51 testing and provide useful places to begin searching. Individual starting interactions can depend on your character’s progression through the introductory Rumor.
You can also discover new investigations by checking the Rumors section of your Journal. Each entry provides a hint explaining where the Rumor can be acquired, even before you’ve found its starting object.
That makes the Journal useful for more than tracking investigations you’ve already begun.
How to Find Clues in the ESO Rumors System
Once you’ve acquired a Rumor, open its Journal entry and read the available information. Instead of directing you to an exact point on the map, the clues often describe a person, settlement, landmark or object connected to the mystery.
The important distinction is that discovering a Rumor and advancing its investigation are separate steps. Finding the initial broadsheet or introductory information starts the mystery, but subsequent clues may require travelling to an entirely different location.
For example, the Mysterious Dreamer investigation involves a sequence of discoveries across more than one zone. Players reported finding information connected to a bridge in The Rift, followed by a Tattered Recipe Book inside the Withered Tree Inn in Riften. The investigation then leads towards an alchemy camp behind Fort Virak in Stonefalls.
That sequence illustrates how Rumors work. Finding one clue doesn’t necessarily complete an objective in the usual questing sense. Instead, it provides information that helps identify the next destination.
When investigating, look carefully at:
- Named settlements, landmarks, buildings and regions mentioned in the clue.
- Books, letters, notices and other readable objects.
- NPCs whose names, professions or stories match the information you’ve discovered.
- Containers, workstations and unusual objects near the suggested location.
- Changes to the Rumor’s Journal entry after an interaction.
Some objects have a distinctive visual glow, but not every clue can be found by looking for a highlighted item. Several launch reports involved objects that remained interactable even when their expected glow was missing.
If you believe you’ve found the correct object, approach it and check whether an interaction prompt appears.
How the ESO Rumors Journal Tracks Clues
The Journal is central to the ESO Rumors System because it records the discoveries associated with each investigation.
Open the Quest Journal and switch to the Rumors view. Select an investigation to read its available hints and the clues you’ve already collected.
Whenever you discover new information, the relevant entry is updated. Update 51 also introduced an interface indicator to draw attention to newly acquired Rumors and additional discoveries.
It’s worth checking the Journal after every meaningful interaction. A letter might identify a person you need to find, while a conversation could reveal a location mentioned in an earlier clue.
Rumors can involve several connected discoveries, so information that seems unimportant when you first read it might become relevant later.
ESO Rumors System Difficulty: Whispers, Plots and Conspiracies
There are three investigation categories in the ESO Rumors System, each representing a different level of complexity.
Whispers are the most approachable investigations, with shorter or less complicated mysteries. They’re a good starting point for learning how clues work.
Plots involve more substantial investigations, requiring you to connect additional information and interpret less direct clues.
Conspiracies represent the most demanding mysteries. These can require several discoveries to be connected before the full investigation makes sense.
The categories reflect the complexity of the mystery rather than a fixed combat difficulty. You won’t necessarily need stronger equipment to solve a Conspiracy, but you should expect more involved clue-solving.
For a closer look at the differences, see our ESO Whispers, Plots and Conspiracies Explained guide.
ESO Rumors System Rewards and Wondrous Nowhere Keys
Completing investigations can provide gold and other rewards, with the exact items depending on the Rumor. Some investigations can also contribute to the wider Update 51 reward system.
Wondrous Nowhere Keys are among the possible rewards associated with Rumors. These keys are used in the Nowhere Vault, the randomized challenge activity introduced alongside the ESO Rumors System.
You’ll need at least one key to begin a Vault run, and additional keys can be spent accessing challenge rooms or opening special treasure chests.
Some hidden objectives inside the Vault are also connected to Rumors, creating investigations that extend beyond the usual exploration of Tamriel.
One specific reward worth knowing about is True Heir. Following launch, players questioned why they received gold without an additional reward box or key. ZeniMax clarified that gold is the intended reward for this investigation.
Completing True Heir without receiving another item is therefore not evidence of a missing reward.
ESO Rumors System Bugs: Missing Objects and Broken Clues
Several investigations experienced problems when Update 51 launched. Some involved missing visual effects, while others prevented players from interacting with objects required to complete a Rumor.
ZeniMax deployed a hotfix across all servers on September 29, 2026, addressing Mysterious Dreamer, Azrashul’s Legacy and the lovers ending of Letter Crossed Lovers.
Mysterious Dreamer
Mysterious Dreamer experienced progression problems involving the Eversleep Salve sequence near Fort Virak.
Players could follow the investigation through the earlier clues but find that the required alchemy interaction was unavailable.
This investigation was included in the September 29 hotfix. ZeniMax confirmed that the deployment was completed across all servers and recommended logging out and back in if the changes weren’t immediately reflected.
Azrashul’s Legacy
Azrashul’s Legacy experienced a different problem related to quest progression in Reaper’s March.
Characters who had already completed the zone storyline could encounter a quest-layering mismatch that prevented the Arenthia Lockbox or Kitima from appearing.
ZeniMax included the investigation in the September 29 hotfix.
If you’re returning to an investigation that previously became stuck, check the correct location again after logging back into the game.
Letter Crossed Lovers
The lovers ending of Letter Crossed Lovers was also included in the September 29 hotfix.
Players attempting this conclusion should benefit from the server-side correction, although the investigation still requires following its normal clues and completing the relevant interactions.
Beritta’s Delivery Box
Beritta’s Delivery Box was affected by a visual problem involving the missing Rumor glow.
Unlike a missing quest object, this issue concerns the visual effect that helps players recognise an important interaction.
ZeniMax continued listing the problem as under investigation in its October 6 launch issues report.
If the box is present but doesn’t glow, approach it and check whether you can interact with it directly.
You can find the developer’s reports in the official ESO Update 51 Launch Day Issues Report.
How to Fix ESO Rumors That Won’t Progress
If you’ve reached the location suggested by a clue but nothing happens, the first thing to check is whether the required object is actually missing.
An item without its expected glow may still be interactable. Look for the normal interaction prompt before assuming the investigation is broken.
If the object or NPC isn’t present at all, confirm that you’ve collected the preceding clue. Rumors use several stages of investigation, and reaching the final location early doesn’t necessarily mean the relevant interaction will already be available.
For Mysterious Dreamer, Azrashul’s Legacy and Letter Crossed Lovers, the September 29 hotfix is also relevant. Logging out and back in was ZeniMax’s recommended action for characters that hadn’t immediately received the corrected state.
Another example involves Bumps in the Night, where players reported difficulty triggering the conversation between constables. One player-reported workaround involved approaching the northeastern corner of the Run-Inn, crouching until hidden and moving slowly towards the constables to trigger their dialogue.
That workaround comes from community reports rather than an official fix, but it may help if you’re stuck at that particular interaction.
For individual clue sequences and additional investigation help, see our ESO Rumors Walkthrough: How to Find Clues and Complete Rumors.
How to Get the Rumormonger Title in ESO
The Rumormonger title is awarded through the I Heard a Rumor achievement introduced with Update 51.
You can find the achievement in ESO’s achievement interface and review its requirements while working through the new investigations.
Rumormonger is separate from the rewards awarded by individual Rumors, giving players another objective to pursue as they uncover mysteries throughout Tamriel.
The ESO Rumors System is one of the more unusual additions in Update 51 because it changes how players approach exploration. Instead of moving between marked objectives, you’ll find yourself reading notices, revisiting familiar towns and working out how seemingly unrelated discoveries fit together.
Start with Rumors Abound or speak to Tilli the Gossip in Daggerfall, then use the Rumors Journal to find new investigations and follow the clues you’ve collected. Whispers are a good introduction before moving into the more complicated Plots and Conspiracies, while the connections to the Nowhere Vault provide additional reasons to explore.
For the original system details, see the official ESO Update 51 patch notes.
For the original gameplay details and developer explanations, see the official ESO Update 51 patch notes.
