"Remakes Key to Bethesda's Revival, Oblivion Shows"

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 a surprise shadow-drop, which instantly transformed into hundreds of thousands of concurrent players. This moment of global hype and celebration feels like a much-needed respite amidst the recent challenges faced by Bethesda Game Studios. From years of managing the fallout of Fallout 76's troubled launch to the lukewarm reception of its new sci-fi venture, Starfield, the studio's recent projects have left many fans questioning: Has Bethesda lost its magic? With fierce competition in the RPG genre, from Larian Studios' Baldur's Gate 3 to Obsidian's The Outer Worlds, both of which have been hailed as spiritual successors to Elder Scrolls and Fallout, Bethesda faces a daunting task. While Elder Scrolls 6 and Fallout 5 are years away from reclaiming their thrones, this re-release of Oblivion may be a step in the right direction – albeit an unexpected one.

At its zenith, Bethesda Game Studios was the undisputed leader in RPGs. In 2020, leaked FTC documents from Microsoft 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 surpassed 60 million sales, though its numerous re-releases undoubtedly played a role. However, Starfield's sales, estimated at just over three million units a year and a half after launch, have been a disappointment for Bethesda, especially considering its absence from PlayStation and the inclusion of Game Pass subscribers. Even the dedicated Starfield fanbase has expressed dissatisfaction with the game's first expansion, Shattered Space.

This leaves Bethesda with a significant challenge. With The Elder Scrolls 6 "years away" and Fallout 5 merely a distant rumor, how can this once-iconic RPG developer recapture the hearts of its fans? The answer may lie in its past.

Rumors of the Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion remaster began in September 2023, when leaked Microsoft documents revealed several unannounced Bethesda titles, including a remaster of the 2006 classic (and another intriguing remaster – more on that later). The silence was broken in January 2025, when a former Virtuos employee leaked more details, sparking debates among Elder Scrolls fans reminiscent of the Stormcloaks vs. the Imperials divide. Finally, last week, the floodgates opened (a bit prematurely), igniting the internet – there were over 6.4 million Google searches for 'The Elder Scrolls VI: 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), over 600,000 people tuned in to see a 19-year-old game re-revealed. The intense demand to play the remaster caused discount game key websites like CDKeys to crash and slowed down Fanatical and Green Man Gaming. As of yesterday, Steam's concurrent players for Oblivion stood at 125,000, with the game firmly holding the #1 best-seller spot. The enthusiasm Bethesda fans have for Oblivion burns as brightly as the flames spilling 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 back to the mysterious isles of Morrowind or the post-apocalyptic ruins of the East Coast? From a commercial perspective, this strategy makes perfect sense. While Bethesda's main development team focuses on new, long-gestating projects, trusted partners like Virtuos can use historic blueprints to create remasters in shorter time frames. These remasters target games with established audiences and often serve as the first RPGs for many players in their respective generations. Restoring these classics also introduces a new generation to the enchanting worlds of Tamriel and the post-apocalyptic landscapes of Fallout.

Bethesda has already demonstrated the effectiveness of this strategy. During the first season of the Fallout TV show on Prime Video, Fallout 4 was discounted by up to 75%, accompanied by a well-timed 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 worth noting that the timelines have shifted – Oblivion was originally planned for fiscal year 2022. However, assuming the original intervals remain, a Fallout 3 remake could be expected in 2026 – conveniently aligning with the second season of the Fallout TV show, which focuses on New Vegas. Given the synergy between the first season and Fallout 4's aesthetic, could Bethesda be planning something even more ambitious for the New Vegas-centric second season? After shadow-dropping Oblivion, it's not beyond 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 catalog that truly deserves a remake, it's The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. Many Elder Scrolls fans have long campaigned for this, with some even remaking Morrowind using Skyrim's tools, as seen in projects like Skyblivion. However, Morrowind poses unique challenges for a remake. It sits at the crossroads of Bethesda's evolution as a studio – built differently from what we now expect of an Elder Scrolls game. It's only partially voiced, relies heavily on text for storytelling, lacks quest markers (requiring players to jot down directions given by NPCs), and has no combat physics. While Virtuos managed to overhaul some of Oblivion's more problematic systems, the entirety of Morrowind is a finicky system. This is why fans love it, but also why it's challenging to remake. Remaking Morrowind is a delicate balancing act. Modernize it too much, and you risk losing its original magic; retain too many outdated systems, and it might feel worse than a severe 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 with the ever-expanding world of GTA Online, which in turn funds the rumored astronomical budget for GTA 6. Bethesda's strength lies in its richly detailed, expansive single-player worlds – Elder Scrolls Online and Fallout 76 don't quite capture the same magic. However, the overwhelming response to Virtuos' Oblivion remaster demonstrates that gamers are eager to revisit the historic worlds of Elder Scrolls. This doesn't mean every remaster will be a success – this particular one is the result of careful planning and skilled development, unlike Rockstar's own GTA Definitive Editions. Yet, what better way for the former king of the modern RPG to regain its footing than by breathing new life into some old classics?