Bilawal Bashir 
The long-rumored remaster of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion has been confirmed, but probably not in a way that Bethesda Game Studios or Xbox are happy about.
The new information comes from the FTC vs. Microsoft document leak that spilled ZeniMax Media’s long-term plans. The document is dated July 2020, before Microsoft acquired ZeniMax Media, which includes developer Bethesda Game Studios and publisher Bethesda Softworks. The leaked internal file also included codenamed games that were in production in 2020.
The “ZeniMax Management Forecast” includes games that have already been released such as Starfield and Ghostwire: Tokyo, as well as both codenamed projects and yet-to-be-revealed games. Notable titles include a Fallout 3 remaster, DOOM Year Zero, and Elder Scrolls VI. The image also lists projected release windows for each of the games.
Is there an Oblivion remake or remaster?
Oblivion is set to be remastered according to leaked documents from Bethesda parent company ZeniMax Media. The file lists the game as “Oblivion Remaster” but it is uncertain what new content might be added.
At the very least, fans can expect better resolution, textures, and sound from the remaster.
The leaked document listed Oblivion remaster as a 2022 title. Starfield was released in September 2023 but is listed as a 2021 title on the leaked image. While Xbox head Phil Spencer has expressed his disappointment with the leaked information, ZeniMax or Bethesda haven’t released any official statement.
A Reddit user U/Suicidal_tendencies claiming to be an ex-employee of Virtuous Games Paris posted the company is working on the Oblivion remaster. The post, which has been deleted, also explained the “paired” engine system. The studio is allegedly using both Unreal Engine 5 and Creation Engine on the project. The leaker, who was vetted by the subreddit’s moderators, estimated a release date of late 2024 or early 2025. This aligns with the general order of games listed in the ZeniMax Media timeline, though several other titles on the list came out much later than initially planned.
Neither Bethesda, Microsoft, nor Virtuous Games have publicly stated anything about an Oblivion re-release of any kind. Official internal documents do confirm that the game was in the works. It’s possible it has since been canceled, but more likely is that it remains in development.
Is there anything new in the Oblivion remaster?
It is unknown for now, but it’s unlikely that there will be new content in the Oblivion remaster.
The original Oblivion was released in 2006 for PC and Xbox 360 and in 2007 for PlayStation 3. The game featured impressive visuals and graphics at the time and is still considered one of the best RPGs of the generation. The game still holds up well but shows its age in some aspects.
The facial animations were dated when the game launched and are a sore point now. A straight remaster like the one seen for Red Dead Redemption would not fix this. A larger overhaul like the one seen with Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater could see these issues addressed.
Bethesda Game Studios has remastered The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim a few times. The re-releases were made in-house and contained new content made by modders. A Creation Club addition to Oblivion could potentially open new doors for console gamers.
Players can enjoy the game on Xbox Series X/S consoles with backward compatibility and the game remains available on Steam. Oblivion is also available on Xbox Game Pass. Fans of the epic fantasy RPG excited to explore Cyrodill will have to wait for an official announcement from Bethesda Game Studios.
