The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remake Details Reportedly Leak Online

Rumors of an Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion remake, slated for a 2025 release, have surfaced online, accompanied by a purported leak of development details.

Gaming news outlet Mp1st reported that a former employee of Virtuos, a video game support studio, inadvertently disclosed information about the unannounced title. Microsoft declined to comment when questioned by IGN.

According to Mp1st's report, Virtuos utilized Unreal Engine 5 to rebuild Bethesda's acclaimed open-world RPG, suggesting a substantial overhaul rather than a simple remaster. The leak allegedly detailed gameplay modifications, including adjustments to Stamina, Sneak, Blocking, Archery, Hit Reactions, and the heads-up display (HUD).

Mp1st claims the Blocking mechanic was redesigned with action and Soulslike games in mind, addressing criticisms of the original system's "boring" and "frustrating" nature. Sneak icons are reportedly now highlighted, damage calculations have been overhauled, and the Stamina-depletion knockdown effect is supposedly harder to trigger. The HUD has undergone a redesign for improved clarity. Furthermore, hit reactions were added for enhanced feedback, and Archery mechanics were allegedly modernized for both first-person and third-person perspectives.

News of an Oblivion remaster first emerged in 2023, when documents from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) versus Microsoft trial (regarding the Activision Blizzard acquisition) revealed several unannounced Bethesda games planned for future release. A July 2020 list, compiled before Microsoft's March 2021 purchase of ZeniMax Media (Bethesda's parent company), included:

Fiscal Year 2022:

• Oblivion Remaster
• Indiana Jones game

Fiscal Year 2023:

• Doom Year Zero and DLC
• Project Kestrel
• Project Platinum

Fiscal Year 2024:

• The Elder Scrolls VI
• Project Kestrel: Expansion
• Licensed IP Game
• Fallout 3 Remaster
• Ghostwire: Tokyo Sequel
• Dishonored 3
• DOOM Year Zero DLC

Many of these titles were either delayed or canceled. Doom Year Zero became Doom: The Dark Ages, launching this year. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle launched in December 2024. The Elder Scrolls VI clearly didn't meet its 2024 target.

The Oblivion remake is the current focus. It's noteworthy that the Microsoft document referred to it as a remaster. The project's scope may have expanded into a full remake. Bethesda's official announcement will clarify this ambiguity.

Platform speculation abounds. Microsoft now favors multiplatform releases. With the Nintendo Switch 2 on the horizon, Oblivion could potentially launch on more than just PC, Xbox, and PlayStation.

Leaker NateTheHate, who recently reported on the alleged Nintendo Switch 2 reveal date, claims the Oblivion remake will launch this June. A simultaneous Switch 2 release is plausible, given the reported timeframe.

Microsoft's Xbox Developer Direct, scheduled for next week, will feature id Software (a ZeniMax studio) revealing more about Doom: The Dark Ages. Microsoft has also teased a new game from an undisclosed developer, but it's unlikely to be Oblivion. Windows Central's Jez Corden hinted that the mystery game is "a new entry in a legendary Japanese IP with decades of history, which should make a lot of fans happy."