Update: A new version of Oblivion has seemingly been confirmed, as images of the remake were found on the official Virtuos website (see above), and posted on the likes of Reddit (via Geek Culture). Note that developer Virtuos and Bethesda are not calling this a “remake” but rather a remaster, meaning Oblivion’s visuals have been upgraded via Unreal Engine 5 with quality of life and gameplay enhancements added on, but this will essentially be the same game under the hood.
The original article follows.
It’s one of the most highly anticipated games of the year, and it’s probably releasing soon, but Bethesda’s Oblivion remake hasn’t even been announced yet.
But ever since the rumor erupted online that an official remake of Oblivion was in the works, fans have been expectant for any details regarding the eagerly anticipated remake.
Video game company Bethesda, though, has remained tight-lipped about the game, which presumably has been in the works for years at developer Virtuos. Also, the fact that an “Oblivion remake” was listed in a document emerging from the trial which pitted Microsoft’s vs the FTC in the US was more than a hint that the project was real…
And more recently industry insider Jeff Grubb also said an updated version of Oblivion was coming soon on Giant Bomb’s YouTube channel, as was recently reported on GameSpot. “Oblivion is very likely to drop here pretty soon”, said Grubb.
This adds to recent news regarding the unannounced remake, such as the fact that trailers were removed from the Steam page of the original version of Oblivion recently, or that another insider posting on X says the game is slated for release in the week of April 21 after the celebrations for The Elder Scrolls: Online’s tenth year anniversary conclude. This means that The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion remake could be released on April 22, then…
Also, and in the absence of any announcement from Bethesda, gamers will be wondering on which platforms or gaming systems will this Oblivion remake be released on? It will definitely be coming to PC and Xbox Series X/S consoles (given how Bethesda is now part of Microsoft), but will it also launch on PlayStation 5? The original Oblivion game did hit the PS3 back in the day, but did not arrive until a year after the game had launched on PC and Xbox 360 (that was back in 2006 folks).
Bethesda’s Oblivion remake will almost certainly be on Game Pass day one too…
It’s unlikely last-gen consoles (PS4 and Xbox One) will be supported though, taking into account that reportedly this will be a new-gen remake built using Unreal Engine 5 and with game systems such as combat and stealth having been reworked presumably by game development outfit Virtuos.
An interesting question too, is where does the release of an official remake by Bethesda leave fan-made remake Skyblivion? Will Elder Scrolls fans still feed the urge to play that remake of Oblivion, or will they stick to the official one?
Bethesda’s remake (which is actually developed by Virtuos but under supervision by the Maryland company) will obviously look better and feature more modern gameplay. So if it turns out to be very good, players are more likely to ignore fan project Skyblivion in lieu of the official remake – a pity taking into account that the team behind Skyblivion have apparently poured their heart and soul into their remake for over a decade now…
Either way, it’s not long before a remake of Oblivion will be in gamers’ hands – if the leaks and rumors are proven true, that is. And although Oblivion was bested by Bethesda’s later Elder Scrolls game (Skyblivion), it is still fondly remembered as one of the best games of the 2000s decade. So obviously Elder Scrolls fans and RPG aficionados of all stripes will be on their heels waiting for the announcement and release of an Oblivion remake this month then…