It's time to act very surprised, because The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered has just been revealed after years of leaks, rumors, and speculation. Even better - it's available to play now!
We're following along with Bethesda's livestream, reporting on highlights from the reveal itself along with an ongoing deep dive gameplay stream. What we've seen so far is truly staggering, with upgrades ranging from a visual makeover to the addition of sprinting and more reactive combat.
If you haven't been able to watch the stream, we've got everything announced for The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered rounded up for you below.
Everything announced for The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered and all the news
- The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered revealed: it's $50, out today, on PC and Xbox Series X plus PS5, and already in Game Pass
- "For people who've only ever played Skyrim, this is gonna be kind of a revelation": Elder Scrolls VA legend is back after fans helped fund his healthcare, and ready for Oblivion Remastered
- Thanks, Todd: Bethesda gave the whole Skyblivion mod team keys to Oblivion Remastered, and "made it clear that they have no intention of shutting down our project"
- Bethesda says "mods are not supported" for The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered despite its pro-mod history
- Slaps roof of RPG: at 125GB on PC, Oblivion Remastered can fit 27 of 2009's Oblivion GOTY edition
- PC gamers seem happy to pay $50 for Oblivion Remastered: it's already the global top-selling game on Steam, and it came out literally 40 minutes ago
- Todd Howard points to The Elder Scrolls 6 as Bethesda reveals Oblivion remaster: "Obviously we're working on the sixth chapter here"
- Everyone can relax, Oblivion Remastered kept the most important part: all the RPG's quirky voice lines
- Xbox embraces the publisher life once again as Oblivion Remastered comes to PS5 on day one
- Bethesda was right – Elder Scrolls fans wanted Oblivion Remastered, but I'm less sure about the 2,006 units of its $155 lamp: "Beware its inviting flame"
- Over 182,000 people were playing Oblivion Remastered on Steam within hours of its sudden launch on a random Tuesday
- Oblivion Remastered is just as janky as Bethesda's original 2006 RPG it seems, with Elder Scrolls stans lovingly welcoming the random crashes: "It's just like I remember it"
- As fans recreate their ugliest Oblivion characters in the RPG's new remaster, Baldur's Gate 3 dev says "there is literally no better marketing campaign than viral funny faces from a Bethesda game"
- The remaster has been carried out with Unreal Engine 5, and will run at 60fps with 4K support
- UI has been reworked, and looks to have taken cues from The Elder Scrolls Online and Skyrim
- The third-person camera is now on par with first-person
- More controversial elements of Oblivion - including enemy scaling and levelling - have been tweaked, making it more in line with modern RPGs
By Azura, by Azura, by Azura! Today's the day that a lot of people have been waiting for, with Bethesda's mysterious livestream set to kick off in just two hours. We've not got a lot to work on from the stream itself, which is currently listed on YouTube as "All will be revealed...."
For anyone joining us fresh, some context: while rumors of an Oblivion remaster have been swirling for years, its existence was seemingly confirmed when screenshots of the project appeared to leak last week. The remaster is said to be in the hands of developer Virtuos, and given the images were sourced through Virtuos' own website, that's looking to be the case. Exciting!
We're still an hour and 20 minutes away from Bethesda's stream, so join me in re-reading our original Oblivion review from 2006. I suppose a "bar-raising masterpiece" would explain why we're still hanging off its every move after 19 years?
I can't talk about Oblivion without sharing clips of it being Very Silly, and this one's an all-timer. I do hope the original game's inherent silliness survives its glossy makeover. Farewell... unless?
In just under an hour, we'll have the answer to our biggest question: will Oblivion's remaster be shadow-dropped - that is, launching immediately - or releasing further down the line? Rumors that have taken us this far suggest the former, but you never know until it's official.
I'm nosing through our Oblivion main quest walkthrough and desperately trying to remember the last time I actually finished it, instead of getting side-tracked by the Dark Brotherhood. It's, er, been a while. Anyway - how are you?
We're now just 20 minutes out from the stream! As a reminder - don't worry if you can't watch it, as I'll be sharing live highlights right here.
The stream's just finished playing Auriel's Ascension, one of many gems to come from Oblivion's soundtrack. There's also been some ominous thundering, but we'll move past that. Grab your snacks, get a drink sorted, and get settled - 10 minutes to go!
Here we go! The stream's now live, and it's kicking right off into a trailer. Confirmation it's from Virtuous there, too.
There we have it! That's The Elder Scrolls 4 Oblivion Remastered officially, officially, announced. Let's see when it's coming out, shall we?
Todd Howard confirms Bethesda is working on "the sixth chapter" - yes, The Elder Scrolls 6 - but for now, it's all Oblivion. "We want people to feel the way they did then," says Howard of the remaster.
We're getting a lot of talking heads from Bethesda here, with devs speaking from the heart about what Oblivion means to them. Lovely look at the game's legacy from the inside, here!
We're now seeing original 2006 footage stacked up against the remaster, really hammering home just how phenomenal this looks. In truth, the screenshots we've seen didn't do the real thing justice - it looks even better in motion!
The remaster aims to make Oblivion "more friendly" to modern hardware, which will be a relief to anyone who's sick of the original game crashing every time you tab in and out.
An important bit of confirmation, here - Oblivion's remaster will indeed be launching with all add-ons and expansions. Trip to the Shivering Isles, anyone?
For those who don't have the stream on, this is how Oblivion looks in Unreal Engine 5.
Now there's confirmation that gameplay has been tweaked, from UI to audio. Levelling is now "the best of both worlds," leaning more into Skyrim, while combat has more animations and a weightier feel. Third person has also been "modernized" to have all the same features you get from first-person.
All of Oblivion's "quirkier" dialogue remains - thank The Nine - but new lines have been recorded as well, which will go a long way toward keeping some of the original game's oddness. Greetings!
We'll be able to sprint in the remaster, which is a lovely addition. From first glance, it feels like there are smart additions, and we've got devs from both Bethesda and Virtuos talking about the careful approach they took to the remaster.
SURPRISE! The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered is out now, and it's on Xbox Series, Game Pass, Steam, and PS5. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some file space to clear...
We're now getting a deep dive gameplay stream, in which the wonderful Wes Johnson - that's the voice of Sheogorath to name just one of his Bethesda characters - is seeing the remaster for the first time. Lovely stuff.
If you happened to be one of those left wondering whether folks still cared about Oblivion, it's maybe worth noting that the remaster is already the global top-selling game on Steam. That... was fast.
If you're looking to download The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered for yourself in order to see what's new or even check it out for the first time, be aware that it's something of a chunky boy.
How chunky? At 125GB, it can fit roughly 27 of 2009's Oblivion GOTY edition inside of it.
While the release of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered might be considered overall good news, there is a bit of bad news in the mix.
Despite the franchise's history of supporting mods, Oblivion Remastered... doesn't. Sorry.
You know what? Say what you will, but Bethesda knows how to put together a trailer. The new official trailer for The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered is no different. Even if it is technically an older game, the trailer feels right at home in 2025.
But you don't have to just take my word for it; you can see for yourself:
For anyone that's been concerned about what Oblivion Remastered might mean for the Skyblivion mod, there's good news: not only does it seem like Bethesda isn't going to put a stop to the project, but it even game the mod team copies of Oblivion Remastered.
Thanks, Todd.
