Assassin’s Creed Shadows stole the spotlight in 2024, which led to fans missing out on a huge reveal; the Oblivion remake was confirmed as early March.

After months of rampant speculation and leaks, Bethesda Game Studios has finally confirmed that the Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered is real, with plans to reveal the game on April 22, 2025. It’s fair to say that the remaster is one of the worst-kept secrets in the gaming world, as reports around it have been circulating for months.

Back in March 2024, news around Assassin’s Creed Shadows continued to dominate social media platforms and gamer discussions. Players were hyped as, finally, an Assassin’s Creed game was reported to take place in Japan. However, it seems like the development of the Oblivion remake flew right under the radar.

That’s right, the Oblivion remaster was stealthily confirmed all the way back in 2024, and not a single gamer paid attention to this development.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows hype overshadowed a massive reveal

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Ever since its inception all the way back in 2004, Virtuos Games has been a crucial developer in the industry, providing assistance and guidance when it comes to remasters and ports. Without the developer, we wouldn’t have seen titles such as Dark Souls, Final Fantasy, and BioShock getting the modern-day graphical and gameplay enhancements.

Last year, 80LV got a chance to sit down with Virtuos’ development team and talk about its passion: video game remakes. The developers opened up about the importance of porting games and the challenges when it comes to crafting full-fledged remasters and remakes.

When asked what Virtuos’ biggest projects were so far, design director Nicolas Roginski stated that the studio is working on something big that has yet to be announced. It’s quite clear that the developer was talking about the Oblivion remaster here.

We are working on a very big, unannounced project. Our approach for the design work of this remake is simple but challenging.

Roginski further revealed that the Virtuos approach to this project is simple but challenging. The challenge stems from the fact that players remember the old games much more fondly than they actually were. Recreating those titles just like they were in the good old days can lead to disappointment as they won’t match the ideal version gamers remember.

The Oblivion remake has been under development for years. (Image via Bethesda Game Studios)

For crafting quality remasters Virtuos’ design philosophy is “Keep, Improve, Create.” The studio retains the core aspects and nostalgic appeal of the game, improves outdated aspects, and brings in new content to surprise players.

Clearly, the developers have carefully approached the Oblivion remaster. However, let’s hope that the introduction of new content doesn’t mean microtransactions and other industry trends.

Oblivion remake is a golden ticket for Bethesda

Todd Howard and his team will be able to reap the benefits of the Oblivion remaster. (Image via Bethesda Game Studios)

It’s going to be quite challenging for any remaster to capture the spirit of the classic. Even the Grand Theft Auto Remastered Trilogy wasn’t received well by critics and fans alike. However, this doesn’t mean that remasters aren’t a success for developers.

It’s been 18 years since the release of Oblivion, and even though it’s a legendary game, many in the community still haven’t experienced it due to its age. Sure, it’s quite accessible, being available on various platforms, but its outdated visuals and mechanics make it a less appealing option compared to Skyrim.

With an Oblivion remaster, Bethesda can pull in both new players and longtime fans by providing a new take on the game’s rich lore, quests, and characters. It’s an incredible opportunity for Bethesda to rejuvenate the Elder Scrolls franchise, which hasn’t seen any activity in the past decade.

Considering the fact that Elder Scrolls 6 is still years away from release, the Oblivion remake will provide fans with something to enjoy in that time. Its reception will influence the development of Elder Scrolls 6 and future Bethesda games.

With that said, are you excited for the Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion remake? Let us know in the comments below.