Ash Parrish is a reporter who covers the business, culture, and communities of video games, with a focus on marginalized gamers and the quirky, horny culture of video game communities.
An Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered announcement seems imminent. Images from the game were found in the website files of the developer Virtuous before being removed. The images, which can still be seen on the hosting site imgur, included several side-by-side comparisons between the game’s 2006 release and the remaster. Several photos show off the remaster’s environment including one featuring an Oblivion Gate. There is also an updated version of the game’s iconic fire-wreathed logo and box art including one for a deluxe edition for the remaster.
Rumors of an Oblivion remaster cropped up in 2023, revealed in documents pertaining to the Federal Trade Commission’s case against Microsoft. Those documents were a part of a Microsoft presentation on its then pending acquisition of Zeni-Max studios which the company bought in 2021 for $7.5 billion dollars. Other games from that presentation included a Fallout 3 remaster, another game in the Dishonored franchise, and something known as Doom Year Zero which very much sounds like Doom: The Dark Ages which launches in May.
According to reporting from The Verge’s Tom Warren, Microsoft planned to release the remaster some time late spring or early summer. Journalist and insider Jeff Grubb similarly reports that Microsoft intended to stealth release the game sometime next week. The leak of these images may impact Microsoft’s timeline but it seems at least the Oblivion remaster is real and it’s coming soon. As for Elder Scrolls VI, announced almost seven years ago now with no significant updates since, who knows.
