Rumors of an Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion remake, slated for a 2025 release, have surfaced online, accompanied by a purported leak of details.
Gaming news outlet Mp1st reported that a former employee of Virtuos, a video game support studio, inadvertently revealed information about the unannounced title. Microsoft declined to comment when questioned by IGN.
According to Mp1st's report, Virtuos utilized Unreal Engine 5 to rebuild Bethesda's acclaimed open-world RPG, suggesting a substantial overhaul rather than a simple remaster. The leak allegedly detailed gameplay modifications, including adjustments to Stamina, Sneak, Blocking, Archery, Hit Reactions, and the HUD.
Mp1st claims the Blocking system was redesigned with action and Soulslike games in mind, addressing criticisms of the original's "boring" and "frustrating" mechanics. Sneak icons are reportedly enhanced, damage calculations refined, and the Stamina depletion knockdown made more difficult to trigger. The HUD received a visual update for improved clarity, hit reactions were added for better feedback, and Archery mechanics were modernized for both first-person and third-person perspectives.
Hints of an Oblivion remaster emerged in 2023 during the FTC vs. Microsoft trial concerning the Activision Blizzard acquisition. Documents revealed several unannounced Bethesda titles, including an Oblivion remaster, scheduled for release in subsequent years. This list, compiled in July 2020, predated Microsoft's March 2021 acquisition of ZeniMax Media, Bethesda's parent company. The list included:
Fiscal Year 2022:
- Oblivion Remaster
- Indiana Jones game
Fiscal Year 2023:
- Doom Year Zero and DLC
- Project Kestrel
- Project Platinum
Fiscal Year 2024:
- The Elder Scrolls VI
- Project Kestrel: Expansion
- Licensed IP Game
- Fallout 3 Remaster
- Ghostwire: Tokyo Sequel
- Dishonored 3
- DOOM Year Zero DLC
Many of these titles faced delays or cancellation. Doom Year Zero became Doom: The Dark Ages, launching this year. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle arrived in December 2024, and The Elder Scrolls VI significantly missed its projected release window.
The Oblivion remake, initially listed as a remaster, is the current focus. The project's scope may have expanded from a remaster to a full remake. The official unveiling will clarify the situation.
Platform availability remains uncertain. Given Microsoft's current multiplatform strategy and the anticipated release of the Nintendo Switch 2, Oblivion could launch on PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and potentially the Switch 2.
Leaker NateTheHate, who recently predicted the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal date, claims the Oblivion remake will launch this June, potentially coinciding with the Switch 2 launch window.
Microsoft's upcoming Xbox Developer Direct next week will feature id Software's presentation of Doom: The Dark Ages. While Microsoft teased a new game from an undisclosed developer, it's unlikely to be Oblivion. Windows Central's Jez Corden hinted at a new entry in a long-standing Japanese IP.
