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

By Azura, by Azura, by Azura – the rumors were true. Yesterday, Bethesda ignited the internet with the surprise announcement of Virtuos’ remaster of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. In an unexpected 'Elder Scrolls Direct' event, the reveal culminated in a shadow-drop that quickly amassed hundreds of thousands of concurrent players. This moment of global excitement feels like a beacon of hope amidst the challenges Bethesda Game Studios has faced recently. From the rocky launch and subsequent years-long efforts to salvage Fallout 76, to the lukewarm reception of their new sci-fi venture, Starfield, fans have been left wondering: Has Bethesda lost its touch? The RPG landscape has grown increasingly competitive, with titles like Larian Studios’ Baldur’s Gate 3 and Obsidian’s The Outer Worlds franchise gaining critical acclaim and often cited as successors to the Elder Scrolls and Fallout legacies. With Elder Scrolls 6 and Fallout 5 still distant dreams, the re-release of Oblivion could signal a promising, albeit unexpected, direction for Bethesda.

At its zenith, Bethesda Game Studios was synonymous with groundbreaking RPGs. In 2020, leaked FTC documents from Microsoft revealed that Fallout 4 had sold an impressive 25 million units, with over 5 million units sold in the first week alone, according to VGChartz. In 2023, Todd Howard announced that Skyrim had surpassed 60 million sales, though its multiple re-releases undoubtedly contributed to this figure. In contrast, Starfield has only managed to sell just over three million units a year-and-a-half after its launch. Even when considering Game Pass subscribers and the absence of a PlayStation version, this is likely a disappointment for Bethesda. The Starfield fanbase, while dedicated, is significantly smaller than those of The Elder Scrolls or Fallout series, and even they have expressed dissatisfaction with the game's first expansion, Shattered Space.

This leaves Bethesda with a significant challenge. With The Elder Scrolls 6 still "years away" and Fallout 5 a mere whisper in the corridors of the studio, how can this once-iconic developer rekindle the magic for their fanbase? The solution might lie in revisiting their storied past.

Rumors of an Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion remaster surfaced in September 2023, following leaks from Microsoft documents that hinted at several unannounced Bethesda projects, including a remaster of the 2006 classic. The buzz remained until January 2025, when a former Virtuos employee leaked further details, sparking debates among fans about the remaster's authenticity. The floodgates finally opened last week with the official announcement, resulting in a surge of excitement. Over 6.4 million Google searches for 'The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion' were recorded, a 713% increase in the last week alone. Bethesda's reveal livestream peaked at over half a million concurrent viewers. Despite the leaks, over 600,000 tuned in to witness the re-reveal of a 19-year-old game. The demand was so intense that discount game key websites like CDKeys crashed, while Fanatical and Green Man Gaming experienced significant slowdowns. As of yesterday, Oblivion boasted 125,000 concurrent players on Steam and claimed the #1 spot on the best-seller list. The fervor surrounding this remaster is as intense as the flames that pour from the Oblivion gates.

The message from players is crystal clear: if you (re)build it, they will come. What better way to keep fans engaged during these extended development periods than by inviting them to revisit beloved worlds like Morrowind or the post-apocalyptic landscapes of the East Coast? Commercially, this strategy is a no-brainer. While Bethesda's core team works on new, long-gestating projects, trusted partners like Virtuos can leverage historical blueprints to create remasters more quickly. These remasters tap into existing fanbases and introduce new generations to the rich lore of Tamriel or the post-apocalyptic adventures of the Fallout series.

Bethesda has previously leveraged its catalog effectively. During the first season of the Fallout TV show on Prime Video, Fallout 4 was discounted by up to 75%, accompanied by a next-gen update that incorporated elements from the show. This strategic move resulted in a 7,500% sales increase in Europe, despite the game being nearly a decade old.

Oblivion Remastered offers a nostalgic journey that feels fresh and new. Image credit: Bethesda / Virtuos

Looking back at Microsoft's leaked Bethesda roadmap, a Fallout 3 remaster was slated to follow Oblivion by two years. Although the original timelines have shifted – Oblivion was initially slated for fiscal year 2022 – if the original gaps hold, we might see a Fallout 3 remake in 2026, coinciding with the second season of the Fallout TV series. Given the synergy between the first season of the show and Fallout 4, it's conceivable that Bethesda might surprise fans with a New Vegas remake to align with the show’s upcoming focus on New Vegas. The shadow-drop of Oblivion sets a precedent; a New Vegas Remastered trailer could be waiting at the end of Fallout Season 2's finale.

The resounding message from the gaming community 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 its return, with some even taking matters into their own hands by remaking it using Skyrim's tools, as seen in projects like Skyblivion. Yet, Morrowind presents unique challenges. It stands at the crossroads of Bethesda's evolution, built on a foundation different from modern Elder Scrolls games. It's partially voiced, relies heavily on text-based storytelling, lacks quest markers, and features combat without physics. While Virtuos managed to modernize Oblivion's more cumbersome systems, Morrowind itself is a complex system. Its charm lies in its quirks, but these also make it difficult to remake. A Morrowind remake walks a fine line: modernize it too much, and you risk losing its original magic; retain too many outdated elements, and it might feel like an overwhelming skooma hangover.

When a studio becomes synonymous with a gaming genre, the challenge is to innovate while retaining its audience. Rockstar Games has kept Grand Theft Auto fans engaged for over a decade with the ever-expanding GTA Online, fueling the rumored massive budget for GTA 6. Bethesda's strength lies in its richly detailed, expansive single-player worlds – Elder Scrolls Online and Fallout 76 simply don’t capture the same magic. The overwhelming response to the Oblivion remaster indicates that gamers are eager to revisit Bethesda's historical gems. While not every remaster guarantees success – as seen with Rockstar’s GTA Definitive Editions – the meticulous care and skilled development behind the Oblivion remaster show that reviving old classics might be the key for Bethesda to regain its footing in the modern RPG landscape.