"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 unveiling Virtuos' remaster (or is it truly a remake?) of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. An 'Elder Scrolls Direct' event culminated in a surprise shadow-drop, instantly drawing hundreds of thousands of concurrent players. This moment of global excitement and celebration serves as a beacon of hope for Bethesda Game Studios amidst recent challenges. From the prolonged efforts to repair the damage from Fallout 76's rocky launch to the lukewarm reception of their new sci-fi universe, Starfield, fans have been questioning: Has Bethesda lost its magic? The RPG landscape has become more competitive, with titles like Larian Studios’ Baldur’s Gate 3 and Obsidian’s The Outer Worlds series receiving critical acclaim as spiritual successors to Elder Scrolls and Fallout. While Elder Scrolls 6 and Fallout 5 are still years away, this re-release of Oblivion might be a crucial step forward, though perhaps not in the way you'd expect.

At its zenith, Bethesda Game Studios was a powerhouse in the RPG genre. According to leaked FTC documents from Microsoft in 2020, Fallout 4 had sold 25 million units to date, with over 5 million units sold in its first week alone, as reported by VGChartz. In 2023, Todd Howard announced that Skyrim had surpassed 60 million sales, though its numerous re-releases likely contributed to this figure. On the other hand, Starfield has only reached an estimated three million units sold a year and a half after its launch. Considering the impact of Game Pass subscribers and the absence of a PlayStation release, this must be a disappointing outcome for Bethesda. Even the dedicated Starfield fanbase has expressed dissatisfaction with the game’s first expansion, Shattered Space.

This situation presents a significant challenge for the developer. With The Elder Scrolls 6 still "years away" and Fallout 5 a mere whisper in the studio’s corridors, how can this once-iconic RPG developer recapture the hearts of its fanbase? The solution might be found in its storied past.

Rumors of the Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion remaster surfaced in September 2023, sparked by leaked Microsoft documents revealing several unannounced Bethesda projects, including a remaster of the 2006 classic set in Tamriel. The buzz continued until January 2025, when a former Virtuos employee leaked further details, sparking debates among fans about the authenticity of these claims. Last week, the floodgates opened earlier than anticipated, igniting the internet – Google searches for 'The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion' surged by 713% in the last week, totaling over 6.4 million. 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 the re-reveal of a 19-year-old game. The eagerness to play the remaster overwhelmed discount game key websites like CDKeys, causing them to crash, while Fanatical and Green Man Gaming experienced severe slowdowns. As of yesterday, Oblivion boasted 125,000 concurrent players on Steam and secured the #1 spot on the best-seller list. The enthusiasm for Oblivion among Bethesda fans burns as brightly as the flames from the Oblivion gates themselves.

The answer to recapturing the fanbase's affection lies in revisiting Bethesda's past. The message from players is clear: if you (re)build it, they will come. What better way to keep fans engaged during these lengthy development cycles than to invite them back to the enchanting realms of Morrowind or the post-apocalyptic landscapes of the East Coast? Commercially, it's a strategic move. While Bethesda's core team works on new, time-consuming projects, trusted partners like Virtuos can leverage existing blueprints to create remasters in shorter time frames. These remasters tap into established audiences and often serve as many gamers' introduction to RPGs. Reviving these classics also invites a new generation to explore the depths of Tamriel or emerge from the nuclear wastelands into the cities of Las Vegas and D.C.

Bethesda has previously boosted its catalog effectively. During the first season of the Fallout TV show on Prime Video, Fallout 4 saw discounts of up to 75%, alongside a timely next-gen update that incorporated elements from the show. As a result, Fallout 4 sales in Europe surged by over 7,500%, despite the game being nearly a decade old.

Oblivion Remastered offers a journey to the past that feels like a leap into the future. Image credit: Bethesda / Virtuos

Looking back at Microsoft’s leaked Bethesda roadmap, many noted a planned Fallout 3 remaster slated to follow Oblivion by two years. While the original timelines have shifted – Oblivion was initially set for fiscal year 2022 – if the original gaps remain consistent, a Fallout 3 remake could be on the horizon for 2026, coinciding with the second season of the Fallout series. Given the shift in focus to New Vegas for the second season, could Bethesda be planning a surprise New Vegas remake? The seamless integration of Fallout 4 with the first season's aesthetic suggests that Bethesda might elevate its strategy for the New Vegas-centric second season. After shadow-dropping Oblivion, it's not far-fetched to imagine a New Vegas Remastered trailer awaiting 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 catalog that truly deserves a remake, it's The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. Fans have long clamored for this, with some even remaking Morrowind using Skyrim's tools, as seen with projects like Skyblivion. Yet, remaking Morrowind presents unique challenges. It straddles the line between Bethesda's past and present – it's built differently from what we recognize as a modern Elder Scrolls game. It's only partially voiced, with much of the story delivered through text, no quest markers, and simplistic combat physics. While Virtuos managed to refine some of Oblivion's more cumbersome systems, Morrowind itself is a complex system. This is both its charm and its challenge. Remaking Morrowind is a delicate balance; modernize it too much, and you risk losing its original magic. Retain too many outdated features, and it might feel as disorienting as a skooma overdose.

When a studio becomes synonymous with a gaming sub-genre, the challenge is to innovate while retaining its audience. Rockstar Games has successfully kept Grand Theft Auto players engaged for over a decade with the expansive multiplayer world of GTA Online, which in turn funds the rumored hefty budget for GTA 6. Bethesda's strength lies in its richly detailed, expansive single-player worlds – Elder Scrolls Online and Fallout 76 don't resonate in the same way. The overwhelming response to Virtuos’ Oblivion remaster demonstrates that gamers are eager to revisit the historic worlds of Elder Scrolls. This doesn't mean any remaster is guaranteed success – the Oblivion remaster is a product of careful consideration and skilled development. A less polished remaster might have fared differently, as seen with Rockstar's GTA Definitive Editions. Yet, what better way for Bethesda, the former monarch of modern RPGs, to regain its footing than by reviving some of its legendary classics?