Summary
Leakers have been humming and hawing over the Oblivion remake for months now, claiming it would be released tomorrow,and then on its anniversary, andthen ‘before June’,and thenthis month, and then, and then, and then——Finally, we can stopdancing around the endless rumours. It’s real, but it hasn’t been released yet. Instead, there will be a dedicated showcase tomorrow at 4pm BST/11am ET.
Bethesda didn’t give any details in its announcement beyond sharing close-up artwork of the “Hero’s” face, seemingly wearing an Imperial Guard’s helmet, with the text “IV” overlayed on top. But according to earlier leaks, the remake was developed by Virtuos in Unreal Engine 5. Supposedly, it will feature revamped combat (namely archery), as well as Soulslike-inspired parrying.
When we can expect it to launch isn’t exactly clear, but given all the shadowdrop rumours, it’ll likely be released during the stream tomorrow. If not, we should at least get a release date. Regardless, the remake is finally real.
A Fallout 3 Remaster Was Leaked, Too
Before Virtuos accidentallyleaked a bunch of screenshotson the backend of its website,fans were beginning to doubt that the Oblivion remake existed. But there was already ‘official’ confirmation in 2023. An uncensored presentation leaked during the FTC’s case over the Microsoft-Activision Blizzard King acquisition, revealing Bethesda’s plans to bring back The Elder Scrolls 4.
It was supposed to launch in fiscal year 2022, but given that it became a fully-fledged remake (even if it’s dubbed the ‘Remastered’ edition), it’s hardly surprising that it was delayed. But what’s especially interesting about this leaked presentation is thatit also mentioned a Fallout 3 ‘remaster’, dated for fiscal year 2024. So, Oblivion might not be the last remake that Bethesda has up its sleeve.
Some have again speculated thatFallout 3might have been cancelled, buta reliable insider claimed last week that it still exists, it’ll just “be a while before we see it”. It’d be a good way to tie us over while we wait for Fallout 5, given that Bethesda is busy with The Elder Scrolls 6 right now, but going by the FTC document, it might not launch until the same year as TES6, so buckle up.
