It seems that Bethesda’s release of a remaster of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion was one of the worst kept secrets in gaming, as details regarding the remaster’s release had been leaked well in advance of it finally seeing the light of day on April 22.
And The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion: Oblivion Remastered (to give it its full name) looks like its being a success. Aside from getting glowing reviews from most video game outlets (its Metacritic score stands at 83 at the time of writing), it also hit four million players shortly after release, as Bethesda revealed in a recent post on X.
This is mightily impressive for what is a remaster of a 19 year old game, even though it does look stunning, while retaining the charm of the original 2006 game. Actually, Bethesda and its partner Virtuos may have gone a bit too far with that, as notorious glitches from the original game are still present in the remaster. For instance, I encountered fish floating near the shore of a river just outside the Imperial prison sewers, which is a bit immersion breaking to be honest…
Bethesda Game Studios is obviously playing the nostalgia card here, and their desire to deliver a new version of Oblivion “as you remember playing it, but seen through today’s technology” (in their own words) seems to have paid off.
However, those looking for a radically new experience might be disappointed – this is after all, the same game at its core – and might be looking forward to the release of fan project Skyblivion, which is shaping up to be a true remake of Oblivion, and will arrive later this year.
Gods give him strength… The Oblivion remaster looks great, but still features the same dated gameplay.
The release of an Oblivion remaster may also have some wondering when on Earth will the Elder Scrolls 6 arrive?
Those with long memories will remember that it was announced way back in 2018 at the E3 show (back when it was a thing). Bethesda Game Studios’ director Todd Howard came on stage and officially announced both The Elder Scrolls VI and its sci-fi role-playing game Starfield. But while Starfield saw a release a couple of years ago, the next chapter in the Elder Scrolls series is yet to arrive.
To reassure fans, though, Howard did briefly touch on the Elder Scrolls VI during the reveal stream for the Oblivion remaster (via GamesRadar), saying that “obviously, we’re working on the sixth chapter here”.
It has been six years since the game’s announcement, however, and Bethesda is yet to reveal a release date for the Elder Scrolls 6. A leaked document which emerged during the trial which pitted Microsoft vs the FTC in the US showed a 2026 release year for the game, but this seems unlikely.
Because there’s the fact that the aforementioned document also gave a release year of 2022 for the Oblivion remaster, and this was delayed until 2025. Also, the earlier Starfield was slated for release in 2021, but did not arrive until summer 2023.
Regarding Starfield, Bethesda is still planning to release more content for the game, meaning a new Elder Scrolls game might be delayed further.
There’s also the fact (and a welcome one for fans of Bethesda’s RPGs) that Bethesda might be working with Virtous again on another remaster, this time of its classic post-apocalyptic game Fallout 3. This was Game of the Year back in 2008, meaning many (me included) will be looking forward to playing it, but it also could mean further delay for the Elder Scrolls VI.
And assuming the 2026 release year which leaked sometime ago is postponed by at least three years, means fans and newcomers won’t get to play another Elder Scrolls game until 2029, sad as that may seem…
For the time being, though, revisiting the fantasy world of Tamriel in the Oblivion remaster should keep gamers hooked for many an hour. And if it serves as consolation, The Elder Scrolls VI should have both cutting edge visuals and gameplay when it arrives, meaning those into role-playing games really have something to look forward to come the release of what’s undoubtedly one of the most anticipated video games of all time.