By Azura, by Azura, by Azura – the rumors were true. Yesterday, Bethesda set the internet ablaze by finally unveiling Virtuos’ remaster of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. This surprise shadow-drop during an 'Elder Scrolls Direct' event instantly drew in hundreds of thousands of concurrent players. This moment of global excitement and celebration feels like a much-needed respite amidst the recent challenges faced by Bethesda Game Studios. From managing the fallout of Fallout 76’s troubled launch to the lukewarm reception of their new sci-fi venture, Starfield, the studio has been grappling with the question: Has Bethesda lost its magic touch? The RPG landscape has become more competitive, with titles like Larian Studios’ Baldur’s Gate 3 and Obsidian’s The Outer Worlds series earning critical acclaim as spiritual successors to Elder Scrolls and Fallout. While Elder Scrolls 6 and Fallout 5 remain distant dreams, this re-release of Oblivion might be a step in the right direction – albeit an unexpected one.
At its zenith, Bethesda Game Studios was a powerhouse in the RPG genre. In 2020, leaked Microsoft FTC documents revealed that Fallout 4 had sold 25 million units to date, with over 5 million units sold in its first week alone, according to VGChartz. In 2023, Todd Howard announced that Skyrim had surpassed 60 million sales, though its numerous re-releases likely 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 considering Game Pass subscribers and the absence of a PlayStation version, this must be a disappointment for Bethesda. Despite having a dedicated fanbase, Starfield's community is smaller than those of The Elder Scrolls or Fallout, and even they have 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 merely a whisper in the studio’s corridors, how can this once-iconic RPG developer rekindle the magic for its fanbase? The answer may lie in revisiting its past.
Rumors of the Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion remaster surfaced in September 2023, when leaked Microsoft documents hinted at several unannounced Bethesda titles, including a remaster of the 2006 classic. The buzz continued until January 2025, when a former Virtuos employee leaked more details, sparking debates among Elder Scrolls fans about their authenticity. Finally, last week, the floodgates opened early, igniting the internet – there were over 6.4 million Google searches for ‘The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion’, a 713% increase in the last week alone. At its peak, Bethesda’s reveal livestream attracted over half a million viewers. Despite the leaks, or perhaps because of them, over 600,000 people tuned in to see a 19-year-old game re-revealed. The intense demand to play the remaster caused discount game key websites like CDKeys to crash, and slowed Fanatical and Green Man Gaming to a crawl. As of yesterday, Steam reported 125,000 concurrent players, with the game firmly positioned as the #1 best seller. The enthusiasm Bethesda fans have for Oblivion burns as brightly as the flames that spill from the Oblivion gates themselves.
The message from players is clear: if you (re)build it, they will come. What better way to keep fans engaged and invested during these long development periods than to invite them to revisit the mysterious isles of Morrowind or the post-apocalyptic landscapes of the East Coast? From a commercial perspective, this strategy makes perfect sense. While Bethesda’s main development team works on long-gestating new projects, trusted partners like Virtuos can use historic blueprints to craft remasters in shorter time frames. These remasters target games with established audiences and often serve as the first RPGs for many gamers in their respective generations. Restoring these classics also introduces a new generation to the intricate world of Tamriel or the post-apocalyptic adventures in Las Vegas and D.C.
Bethesda has previously leveraged its catalogue effectively. During the first season of the Fallout TV show on Prime Video, Fallout 4 was discounted by up to 75%, accompanied by a timely next-gen update that included homages from the show. As a result, Fallout 4 sales surged over 7,500% in Europe alone, despite being nearly a decade old.
Looking back at Microsoft’s leaked Bethesda roadmap, many noted that a Fallout 3 remaster was slated to follow Oblivion two years later. Although the original timelines have shifted – Oblivion was initially planned for fiscal year 2022 – if the original gaps hold true, a Fallout 3 remake could be on the horizon for 2026, coinciding with the second season of the Fallout TV show. Given the show’s first season's alignment with Fallout 4’s vibe and aesthetic, could Bethesda be planning something even more cunning for the New Vegas-focused second season? After shadow-dropping Oblivion, it’s not out of the question that a New Vegas Remastered trailer might be waiting 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 back catalogue that truly deserves a remake, it’s The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. Many Elder Scrolls fans have been clamoring for this, with some even remaking Morrowind using Skyrim’s tools, as seen in projects like Skyblivion. Yet, Morrowind poses unique challenges for remaking. It stands at the crossroads of Bethesda’s evolution as a studio – its structure differs significantly from modern Elder Scrolls games. It’s only partially voiced, with most of the story conveyed through text, no quest markers (players must manually note directions from NPCs), and combat physics are absent. While Virtuos managed to overhaul some of Oblivion’s more cumbersome systems, Morrowind itself is a complex system. It’s what makes the game beloved, but also what makes it difficult to remake. Remaking Morrowind is a delicate balancing act. Modernize it too much, and you risk losing its original charm. Retain too many outdated systems, and it might feel more frustrating than rewarding.
When a studio becomes synonymous with a gaming sub-genre, the challenge is to innovate and evolve while retaining its audience. Rockstar Games has kept Grand Theft Auto players engaged for over a decade through the ever-expanding world of GTA Online, which in turn supports 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 quite capture the same essence. However, the overwhelming response to Virtuos’ Oblivion remaster demonstrates that gamers are eager to revisit the historic worlds of Elder Scrolls. That’s not to say any remaster is guaranteed success – this particular one is a testament to careful planning and skilled execution. A less polished remaster might have received a different reception, as seen with Rockstar’s GTA Definitive Editions. But what better way for the former king of the modern RPG to regain its footing than by breathing new life into some of its classic titles?
