“We have no official information on an Oblivion remake,” say Bethesda, which isn’t a denial, is it
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion’s remake is near upon us, going by the Loud Noises online. Somebody’s finally managed to get a response out of Bethesda regarding the much-tipped Oblivion comeback, and it is that special flavour of non-committal that attracts the true believers like wasps to a capsized icecream van. “We have no official information on an Oblivion remake,” observed the company’s Support staff in a response to some nosy parker last week. “Apologies for any confusion.”
Thanks to The Gamer for spotting the above. I’ve been avoiding a lot of the rumours because frankly, many of them read like people converting to Unitology after stumbling on an extra-twisty Nik Nak. But there are now enough of them that I can mash them all together like I’m turning junk bonds into triple-A securities, and pass the results off as reporting. Seriously, though, there’s quite a lot of smoke in the air. It feels increasingly like there’s an announcement in the offing. Here’s a quick round-up of the most substantial and/or recent pieces of gossip.
– Back in 2023, Microsoft accidentally shared a 2020 planning document with details of several possible projects, including a new version of Oblivion.
– This January, MP1st dug up a former Virtuos employee’s CV which makes mention of an Unreal Engine 5 Oblivion remake, detailing improvements to the RPG’s stealth, stamina and blocking.
– But a few days ago, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game Of The Year Steam page was updated to remove some older trailers. Routine housekeeping?
– Jeff Grubb, a dependable disseminator of insider gossip, has claimed on Giant Bomb’s 7th April The Power Block video that the reveal is definitely coming this month.
– NateTheHate claims the remake will be revealed and released this month, in comments green-ticked by Andy Robinson of Vero Gusto Computing. Andy Robinson once beat me at Mortal Kombat in front of Netherrealm and I despise him to this day, but I have never known him to tell a fib about a video game.
If you’re ambivalent about Oblivion, or disinclined to engage with anything Microsoft-backed in light of recent reporting, you might prefer to check out certain community initiatives that take inspiration from Oblivion, like this persuasion-themed game jam. There’s also this fun demake co-starring Bethesda’s indefatigable Adoring Fan.