After years of rumors suggesting it was in the works, a remake of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion appears to be closer to releasing than ever, with some sources suggesting it could come as early as 2025. The modern version, created in Unreal Engine 5, would give fans of the open-world RPG series something to take their minds off of the ongoing wait for The Elder Scrolls VI.
As first reported by Mp1st, new details about the remake have appeared on the portfolio website for a former employee of Virtuous, the global outsourcing production company based in Singapore, who claimed to have worked on the Oblivion remake between 2023 and 2024. “As the Game Designer, I worked on combat features include the Sneak System, Hit Reaction, Player HUD, Archery System, Stamina System and Block System,” reads a description on their website. The dev says combat is more reactive and modern feeling, with fewer knockdowns for running out of stamina.
The possibility that Virtuous was working on a remake of Oblivion first leaked on Reddit back in 2023 by a user claiming to be an ex-employee. The existence of the project was later referenced publicly in a production roadmap for Bethesda that leaked after the Microsoft FTC trial over its acquisition of Activision Blizzard. In recent weeks, various industry insiders have hinted that a remake of Oblivion could release as early as 2025, with an official announcement coming in the next few months. A separate source familiar with the project corroborated to Kotaku that a UE5 remake of Oblivion is in development, but couldn’t confirm the expected release window.
Released in 2006, the Elder Scrolls IV was a major early timed-console exclusive for the Xbox 360. Set in the Tamriel province of Cyrodiil, the RPG tasks the player with preventing an evil cult from opening up a portal to hell. Featuring the voice talents of Patrick Stewart, Sean Bean, and others, the game was lauded for its freeform exploration and guild quest lines, but isn’t nearly as mechanically refined as its sequel, Skyrim.
A remake could sand off a lot of the rough edges and dated graphics. The Elder Scrolls VI, meanwhile, hasn’t been shown since its original teaser at E3 2018. It’s now been more days since the logo for the game was shown than the gap between Skyrim releasing and Bethesda announcing the sequel. But the studio claims a build of the game is already playable, even if it’s still not expected to launch for a few more years.
Microsoft’s first gaming showcase of 2025 is scheduled to take place on January 23. It will feature deep dives into Doom: The Dark Ages, South of Midnight, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and a mystery game not yet revealed.
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