Unless some of the industry’s most reputable insiders and journalists have all been duped, then Bethesda’s reported Oblivion remake is one of the worst-kept secrets of the year so far. The Elder Scrolls 4 is one of the greatest RPGs ever, and a remake could fill some of the void between now and The Elder Scrolls 6. Rumors have suggested that the Oblivion remake could be in our hands before the summer hits, but now it’s claimed that it really could be right around the corner, with the game set to be shadow dropped “at any moment.”
We’ve been closely following all the speculation over this remake of The Elder Scrolls 4 Oblivion, and last month we covered the report that suggested it could launch in April. Well, April’s here, and apparently the RPG is ready to go, and all that’s left to do on Bethesda’s end is to push the big red button to release it into the world. And that could allegedly happen by way of a surprise shadow drop.
In the latest Game Mess Mornings stream, Giant Bomb’s Jeff Grub claims that he’s “been told it’s going to shadow drop at any moment this month… It’s going to shadow drop pretty soon.”
This claim, which was spotted by VGC, comes shortly after a Steam page for The Elder Scrolls 4 was mysteriously updated. The store page for the Game of the Year Deluxe edition had all of its trailers removed, leaving only some screenshots. It’s worth noting though that the standard Game of the Year edition does still have a single trailer alongside its screenshots. Nevertheless, Bethesda’s tinkering away behind the scenes for some reason, and given how many reliable reports of this Oblivion remake there’ve been, I think we all now know why.
Microsoft has shown that it’s not averse to shadow dropping projects. Remember when the critically acclaimed rhythm action game Hi-Fi Rush was revealed during an Xbox Developer Direct stream in 2023 and was released immediately after? However, with no major, official Xbox showcases expected until perhaps Summer Game Fest in June, it looks like Microsoft and Bethesda aren’t too worried about attaching the Oblivion remake to any big events. To be fair, it’s already well-known thanks to all the leaks and reports that have come out about it, and there are already plenty of Elder Scrolls fans that will immediately go wild for it, so it’s not like it needs much help in the clout and visibility department.
Even if the Oblivion remake is loaded in the chamber and ready to fire, it’s worth noting that there’s currently a big anniversary event going on in The Elder Scrolls Online. It would seem strange for the Oblivion remake to release during this period and detract away from ESO’s event, which ends on Tuesday, April 22, so maybe expect this shadow drop to happen towards the end of the month.
As mentioned, with The Elder Scrolls 6 release date still seemingly a way off, this should keep series fans happy in the interim. Before anyone complains about this Oblivion remake potentially taking resources away from TES 6, it’s worth noting that all the evidence points towards a studio called Virtuos being entrusted with the project. Virtuos has given development support to dozens of big triple-A titles, including remakes like the upcoming Metal Gear Solid 3 Delta Snake Eater, and ports of games to PC and console platforms.
So, it seems that you should be bracing yourself for an Oblivion remake shadow drop some time before the end of the month. While you wait, check out our lists of the best fantasy games and the best single-player games.
You can follow us on Google News for daily PC games news, reviews, and guides. We’ve also got a vibrant community Discord server, where you can chat about this story with members of the team and fellow readers.