• A remaster of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion seems imminent
• Screenshots have been sourced from developer Virtuos's website
• It could launch with a Deluxe Edition as early as next week

For me, the biggest news of the week isn't anything Nintendo Switch 2-related, or even Respawn's new Star Wars game. Nay, it's the notion that the long-rumored The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion remaster may actually be completely real.

Potential images of the remaster have appeared over on the Oblivion subreddit, sourced from developer Virtuos's website. And even more images, including comparison shots to the original game and one showcasing a Deluxe Edition, have been collated in an Imgur post.

What's more, as reported by Eurogamer, the supposed remaster could be launching as early as next week (likely April 21 - 25) for Xbox Series X|S, PS5, PC, and Xbox Game Pass. If this is indeed true, it means I'll once again have to punt Baldur's Gate 3 back into the backlog mines despite receiving its massive final patch, because Oblivion is one of my all-time favorite games.

Oblivion images on Virtuos website from r/oblivion

Remake Screenshots from Virtuos' Website: from r/oblivion

We've been hearing about a potential Oblivion remaster since 2023, back in the days of the FTC vs. Microsoft court case. But still, I can't shake the feeling that a shadow drop next week feels a little weird to me.

Microsoft has announced its next Xbox Games Showcase for June 8, right around the time of Summer Game Fest. I think it would probably make more sense to reveal the Oblivion remaster there. But hey, if this isn't all an elaborate hoax and it is indeed arriving next week, I certainly won't complain.

Why Oblivion?

Oblivion might just be the most divisive entry in The Elder Scrolls franchise. It was a mind-boggling showcase for 2006 and certainly helped to shift many an Xbox 360. But quite frankly, the game is the textbook definition of 'jank.'

Whether it's non-player characters (NPCs) talking absolute gibberish to one another, voice actors swapping between lines from the same character, a broken leveling system, or its horrifying Play-Doh-esque denizens, Oblivion's highly cursed nature is typically what people remember fondly of the game.

It can often feel like a bizarre fever dream as you witness the world of Cyrodiil and its characters behave in increasingly bizarre ways. All backed by Jeremy Soule's legendary soundtrack, Oblivion is a game that definitely has more than a few screws loose, but I'll be damned if it doesn't have heart.

Hopefully, that charm won't be lost in a polished-up remaster with more modern visuals and various quality-of-life updates. But still, if this whole thing does turn out to be an elaborate hoax, pretend I didn't say anything.

You might also like...

• The Nintendo Switch 2 versions of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom will let players repair their gear, but only if they download an app
• Former PlayStation boss says 'Nintendo is losing their identity' as it focuses more on hardware upgrades than innovation
• Zenless Zone Zero Version 1.7 adds a tired office Bangboo that I can seriously relate to