Summary
A remaster ofThe Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivionis heavily rumoured to be in development at Virtous, an external studio that specialises in remasters and ports. The rumour first emerged in a leak by a former Virtous employee, and was confirmed to exist in court documents relating to the Federal Trade Commission’s case opposing Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision-Blizzard.
A reliable leaker named NateTheHate added more fuel to the fire, saying that the remaster had grown into a full remake andcould be released in June, or even sooner. The remake remains unannounced, but it looks likely that we’ll be receiving it before 2025 is through.
Where in Mundus is the Oblivion Remake?
Fans remain desperate for an official announcement, however. March 20 was the nineteenth anniversary of the release of Oblivion, with fans eagerly anticipating an announcement of the remake in celebration of the occasion. However, that announcement never materialised.
Bethesda did release a post commemorating the occasion, but did not mention the remake. The post reads, “Happy anniversary to The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion, thank you for sharing in our worlds.” Predictably, the replies are full of commenters asking for information about the rumoured remake.
This speculation spread to Reddit, where commenters on various threads commemorating the anniversary captured the general sentiment among fans of the game: “Where is that remake reveal?” writesMedium-Risk7556. “I am praying that the remaster is real. Give me another reason to jump in again! I’ve spent hundreds of hours already,” commentsMarquisLaFett.
“Is this seriously all they could post?” complainsSaturnlovejoy, “How is this even hype? It’s literally just a single post with mild enthusiasm. Now would be the perfect time to announce/release this supposed remaster,” addsFormalCryptographer.
We currently know very little about the rumoured remake. Supposedly, it’s being developed on Unreal Engine 5, rather than Bethesda’s proprietary Creation Engine. Although new technology is usually a good thing, Oblivion is a game that’s beloved for its wide array of bugs, engine quirks and general jankiness. If you create a remake that’s too clean then you risk erasing some of the spirit that made the original so unique. We’ll have to wait for an announcement to see what approach Virtous has taken to the project.
