In 2025, a long-rumored development in the gaming world has finally been confirmed: Bethesda Game Studios has released a remastered version of its classic 2006 RPG, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, available across all supported platforms today.
This announcement was made official during a livestream featuring insights from developers and gameplay clips, streamed on both Twitch and YouTube, bringing years of speculation to an end.
Oblivion serves as the direct predecessor to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, a game that gained immense popularity among gamers. At the time of its release, Oblivion was also highly regarded, marking the franchise’s transition toward a more modern feel. Many fans still harbor fond memories for The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind.
Just like Skyrim, Oblivion functions as a blend of story-driven fantasy RPG and an open-ended gameplay experience. Although it is less streamlined and intuitive than Skyrim, it offers in-depth character customization options. The game is known for its quirks, which many fans find charming, yet those preferring a more polished gaming experience might want to look for alternatives.
The Oblivion livestream reveal.
The remaster was not developed by the original creators at Bethesda Game Studios directly; instead, it was undertaken in collaboration with an external developer, Virtuos.
Virtuos is a well-established support studio, renowned for its contributions to various titles, including Cyberpunk 2077, Hogwarts Legacy, and The Outer Worlds. They have also participated in respected remasters and porting projects, such as Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection and Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster. The presentation footage shown during Bethesda’s reveal suggests that Virtuos Paris was primarily responsible for the development of Oblivion Remastered.
It is essential to clarify that this project is a remaster rather than a remake. While the team has utilized Unreal Engine for enhancements in graphics and audio, the core gameplay mechanics are still governed by Bethesda’s proprietary Creation Engine.
Virtuos has made significant adjustments, one of the most notable being a completely revamped leveling system that blends elements from both Oblivion and Skyrim. This change is expected to resonate positively with players, as Oblivion’s original leveling mechanics were often criticized for their complexity, even at launch. While the specifics of the new system are still unclear, many fans are likely to appreciate any alterations.
Some of Oblivion’s idiosyncrasies remain intact, such as the persuasion mechanics during NPC interactions. The charm of the game largely lies in its intricate systems, so the development team has chosen to retain much of that experience. The traditional lockpicking mechanic is also unaltered.
On the visual side, Virtuos has overhauled the game’s lighting system, contributing to a significantly more detailed presentation. NPC facial animations and expressions have also received updates, although some characters still display their peculiar designs—something that fans may actually cherish.
A significant amount of focus has been placed on enhancing character aesthetics, as seen in this updated Khajiit.
The user interface has been revamped to provide a fresh look while maintaining the essence of the original design.
Overall, today’s livestream showcased a promising facelift for a game that left a significant mark upon its initial release in 2006, even though its impact was somewhat eclipsed by Skyrim shortly thereafter.
While The Elder Scrolls VI is still being developed, fans have been eagerly awaiting new content, as Skyrim was released quite some time ago. This remaster may not equate to a brand-new title, but if executed well by Bethesda and Virtuos, it is likely to be warmly received by players.
The remastered version is now available for purchase on PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, retailing for $50. Additionally, it can be found on Game Pass.
