Aside from some controversial takes on it, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered has been a welcome change for many compared to the constant remasters of Skyrim. Obviously, the game was successful in basically every metric, with over 190,000 concurrent players on Steam. Bearing in mind that Bethesda dropped this game smack dab in the middle of a week and there's the very real possibility that the number could skyrocket over the weekend.
In a social media post, Bethesda went about thanking developer Virtuos, which was the main studio behind the remaster, alongside the fans in general for the support. In the message, the team expressed how it was always a goal to remaster Oblivion rather than remake it and that it started back in 2021. “When we started this project in 2021, we aimed to breathe new life into a chapter of The Elder Scrolls that set the path for so many of our games after it. We never wanted to remake it – but remaster it – where the original game was there as you remember playing it, but seen through today’s technology.”
Obviously, the game did go through changes between the original 2006 release to the 2025 release we now harp about. Stuff like its more balanced leveling system, though some may find it sour to even change that, as arguably, it might lose some of the charm from the original. “Game systems were updated to feel better in your hands. Leveling systems modified for smoother progression and balance. We looked at every part and carefully upgraded it. But most of all, we never wanted to change the core. It’s still a game from a previous era and should feel like one.”
Bethesda capped the message off with a thank you tot he fans, as one may expect from a studio sharing good news about sales and general release stuff. The release has been met pretty warmly, especially as the game isn't even charging the industry standard, giving it a huge boost in appeal for the more cash-strapped gamer.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered costs $49.99, but considering the other games in similar pockets of the gaming scene, this looks like a steal, especially since much like Skyrim, there is a lot to do in this Bethesda release.
What we can say, though, is former Blizzard exec Mike Ybarra isn't impressed, believing that the remaster can't live up to modern RPGs like Elden Ring.