By Azura, by Azura, by Azura – the rumors were true. Yesterday, Bethesda set the internet ablaze by finally unveiling Virtuos’ remaster (or is it really a remake?) of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. An ‘Elder Scrolls Direct’ of sorts culminated in the surprise shadow-drop, which almost instantly transformed into hundreds of thousands of concurrent players. This moment of global hype and celebration feels like a much-needed port in the storm Bethesda Game Studios has been facing in recent years. From years-long efforts to rectify the launch of Fallout 76, to the lukewarm reception of its new sci-fi universe, Starfield, the studio's recent releases have left many fans wondering: Has Bethesda lost its magic touch? With fiercer competition in the RPG space from the likes of Larian Studios’ Baldur’s Gate 3 and Obsidian’s The Outer Worlds, both of which have garnered critical acclaim as spiritual successors to Elder Scrolls and Fallout, Bethesda's future titles like Elder Scrolls 6 and Fallout 5 are years away from reclaiming their thrones. However, this re-release of Oblivion may be a step in the right direction – just not in the direction one might expect.
At its peak, Bethesda Game Studios was synonymous with RPG excellence. In 2020, Microsoft’s leaked FTC documents revealed that Fallout 4 had sold 25 million units to date, with over 5 million units sold in its first week alone, according to VGChartz. In 2023, Todd Howard announced that Skyrim had crossed the 60 million sales mark, though its multiple re-releases undoubtedly contributed to this figure. In contrast, estimates for Starfield place it at just over three million units a year-and-a-half after launch. While considering Game Pass subscribers (which would boost player numbers, if not sales) and Starfield’s absence from PlayStation, this figure must still be a disappointment for Bethesda. Even the game’s dedicated fanbase has expressed dissatisfaction with its first expansion, Shattered Space.
This leaves the developer with a significant challenge. With The Elder Scrolls 6 still "years away" and Fallout 5 merely a rumor, how can this once-iconic RPG developer rekindle its fanbase's passion? The answer lies in revisiting its past.
Rumors of the Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion remaster began circulating in September 2023, following leaked Microsoft documents that hinted at several unannounced Bethesda titles, including a remaster of 2006’s landmark trip to Tamriel. Silence reigned until January 2025, when a former Virtuos employee leaked further details, sparking debates among Elder Scrolls fans over their authenticity, reminiscent of the Stormcloaks vs. the Imperials divide. Finally, last week, the dam broke (albeit prematurely), setting the internet on fire – there were over 6.4 million Google searches for ‘The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion’, a 713% increase in the last week alone. At its peak, Bethesda’s reveal livestream attracted over half a million viewers. Despite the leaks (or perhaps because of them), more than 600,000 people tuned in to see a 19-year-old game re-revealed. The intense demand to play the remaster overwhelmed discount game key websites like CDKeys, causing them to crash, while slowing down Fanatical and Green Man Gaming. As of yesterday, Steam reported 125,000 concurrent players, with the game firmly positioned as the #1 best seller. The enthusiasm Bethesda fans have for Oblivion burns as brightly as the flames that spill from the Oblivion gates themselves.
The message from players is clear: if you (re)build it, they will come. What better way to keep fans engaged and invested during these long development periods than to invite them to revisit the mysterious isles of Morrowind or the post-apocalyptic landscapes of the East Coast? From a commercial perspective, it's a sound strategy. While Bethesda’s main development team works on long-gestating new projects, trusted partners like Virtuos can leverage historic blueprints to craft remasters in shorter time frames. Such remasters appeal to built-in audiences and introduce new generations to the intricacies of Tamriel or the post-apocalyptic worlds of Las Vegas and D.C.
Bethesda has previously capitalized on its own catalogue successfully. During the first season of the Fallout TV show on Prime Video, Fallout 4 was discounted by up to 75%, accompanied by a timely next-gen update that included homages from the show. As a result, Fallout 4 sales surged over 7,500% in Europe alone, despite the game being nearly a decade old.
Oblivion Remastered offers a visit to the past that looks like the future. Image credit: Bethesda / Virtuos
Looking back at Microsoft’s leaked Bethesda roadmap, many noted that a Fallout 3 remaster was slated to follow Oblivion two years later. It’s important to note that the timelines from this original presentation have shifted – Oblivion was originally slated for fiscal year 2022. However, assuming the original intervals remain intact, it appears a Fallout 3 remake could be on the horizon for 2026 – coincidentally, just in time for Fallout Season 2. While a Fallout remaster now seems inevitable, given the second series’ focus on New Vegas, could it be possible that Bethesda’s early discussions with showrunners Graham Wagner and Geneva Robertson-Dworet hint at a surprise New Vegas remake? Given the synchronicity between the first season of the show and Fallout 4’s vibe and aesthetic, could Bethesda elevate its strategy even further for the upcoming New Vegas-centric second season? It shadow-dropped Oblivion – it’s not out of the realm of possibility that a New Vegas Remastered trailer awaits us at the end of Fallout Season 2’s finale.
The message from players is clear: if you (re)build it, they will come. However, if there’s one game in Bethesda’s back catalogue that truly deserves a remake, it’s undoubtedly The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. Many Elder Scrolls fans have been clamoring for this for years, with some superfans even remaking Morrowind using Skyrim’s tools, ala Skyblivion. However, Morrowind presents unique challenges for remaking. It sits at the crossroads of Bethesda’s evolution as a studio – it is fundamentally different from our modern understanding of an Elder Scrolls game. It’s only partially voiced, with most of the story conveyed through text, no quest markers (players must manually note directions given by NPCs, unless they have perfect memories), and combat physics are non-existent. While Virtuos was able to overhaul some of Oblivion’s more cumbersome systems, the entirety of Morrowind is a cumbersome system. This is why many adore the game, but it also makes it difficult to remake. Remaking Morrowind is a delicate balancing act. Modernize it too much, and you risk losing the magic that made it special. Retain too many outdated systems, and it could feel worse than an almighty skooma hangover.
When a studio becomes the icon of a gaming sub-genre, the challenge is to innovate and evolve while retaining its audience. Rockstar Games has kept Grand Theft Auto players engaged for over a decade through the ever-expanding multiplayer world of GTA Online, which in turn fuels the rumored eye-wateringly expensive budget for GTA 6. Bethesda’s core strength lies in its richly detailed, expansive single-player worlds – Elder Scrolls Online and Fallout 76 simply don’t capture the same essence. However, the overwhelming response to Virtuos’ Oblivion remaster demonstrates that gamers are eager to dive back into the historic annals of Elder Scrolls. That’s not to say any remaster is guaranteed success – this particular one is a testament to careful consideration and skilled development, unlike Rockstar’s own GTA Definitive Editions – but what better way for the former king of the modern RPG to regain its footing than by breathing new life into some old classics?
