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 released 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 details gameplay adjustments, including modifications to Stamina, Sneak, Blocking, Archery, Hit Reactions, and the heads-up display (HUD).
Mp1st claims the Blocking system was redesigned, drawing inspiration from action and Soulslike games, addressing criticisms of the original's "boring" and "frustrating" mechanics. Sneak icons are reportedly enhanced, damage calculations refined, and Stamina depletion's knockdown effect made less frequent. The HUD underwent a redesign for improved clarity. Additionally, hit reactions were added for enhanced feedback, and Archery mechanics were modernized for both first 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 games, 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
Several of these titles faced delays or cancellation. Doom Year Zero is now Doom: The Dark Ages, launching this year. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle launched in December 2024, and The Elder Scrolls VI significantly missed its projected release window.
The Oblivion remake's status remains uncertain. The original Microsoft document referred to it as a remaster; the project's scope may have expanded into a full remake. Official confirmation is pending.
Platform speculation is rife. Given Microsoft's current multi-platform strategy and the anticipated release of the Nintendo Switch 2, the Oblivion remake could launch on PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and potentially the Switch 2.
Leaker NateTheHate, known for accurately predicting the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal date, claims the Oblivion remake will launch this June, potentially coinciding with the Switch 2 launch.
Microsoft's upcoming Xbox Developer Direct next week will feature id Software revealing more about Doom: The Dark Ages. A new game from an undisclosed Japanese developer is also teased, but it's unlikely to be Oblivion. Windows Central's Jez Corden hints at a "new entry in a legendary Japanese IP with decades of history."
