Summary
The rumored remake ofThe Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivionis slated for release sometime in April 2025, according to a new report from a well-known industry insider. The same source also suggested that theOblivionremake will break a three-decade series tradition.
The first concrete indication that a modernized version ofOblivionis in the works emerged online in September 2023, as part of a “ZeniMax Management Forecast” presentation accidentally leaked by the Federal Trade Commission while the regulator was looking into Microsoft dealings due to the then-pending Activision Blizzard acquisition. The leaked presentation, dated July 2020, described the title as a remaster. A few months beforehand, a less credible sourceclaimed that theOblivionproject may also be a remake, and that it’s reportedly in development by Virtuos—one of today’s more prominent third-party support studios.
The much-rumoredOblivionremake is now nearing release, according to Jeff Grubb, who said as much during Giant Bomb’s The Power Block livestream on April 7. Roughly 14 minutes into the livestream, the well-known industry insider stated that the game is scheduled for release sometime in April 2025. This claim marks the second recentindication that theOblivionremake is aiming for an April launch.
Oblivion Remake Is Reportedly Breaking 32-Year TES Tradition
Grubb expressed uncertainty regarding the exact timing of the rumored remake’s release, suggesting it could arrive “any day now.” However, he appeared significantly more confident about the manner in which the game will reportedly launch. According to his information, ZeniMax (or Microsoft) opted for a so-called shadow drop—an unprecedented move for the franchise. If accurate, this would mark the firstThe Elder Scrollsgameto forgo a formal pre-release announcement, breaking a 32-year tradition of conventional marketing cycles dating back to the 1993 reveal ofTES: Arena.
Even smaller series spin-offs such asTES: Blades,TES: Legends, andTES: Castleswere all officially announcedahead of release. It’s currently unclear why theOblivionremake is supposedly breaking with this tradition. It’s possible Microsoft doesn’t think a modernized version of one of the most well-known games from the mid-2000s needs much in the way of marketing. Moreover, even shadow-dropping much smaller titles with less (or no) IP pull worked for Microsoft in the past, like in the case of, e.g.,Hi-Fi Rush.
According to previous reports, the upcoming reimagining ofOblivionwill be something between a remake and a remaster. Virtuos is supposedly using Unreal Engine 5 for rendering, but while still relying on the old Gamebryo engine for some underlying logic. Changes to core gameplay systems like blocking, stealth, and stamina have also been rumored as of late. TheOblivionremake will most likely be a day-one release for PC and the Xbox Series X/S, though Microsoft’s growing multi-platform publishing focus suggests it could eventually also make its way to the PS5 and Nintendo Switch 2.
