Highlights
- The Skyblivion development team is continuing with their fan remake of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion despite an official remaster being leaked.
- Skyblivion has been in development for over ten years as a remake of Oblivion within the engine used for Skyrim.
- The current project lead, Rebelzize, plans to release Skyblivion in 2025 and believes an official Oblivion remaster will benefit both projects and fans.
The Skyblivion development team has revealed it is moving forward with its fan remake of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion despite the official remaster being leaked. Skyblivion has been in development for more than ten years as a remake of Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion within the engine used for Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
In 2012, The Elder Scrolls Renewal Project modder Zilav began the project of porting Oblivion's assets into Bethesda's Creation Engine, which was used for Skyrim just one year prior. Various versions of the fan project were developed leading into 2014, and the developers determined that the version 0.2 build would serve as the foundation for further development. The current Skyblivion project lead, Rebelzize, was brought into the development team and changed the project's trajectory by pitching the idea of remaking Oblivion rather than porting assets over. This idea was approved, and Rebelzize would encourage other modders and developers from Nexus Mods to help develop Skyblivion in 2016. Development of Skyblivion is still ongoing, and there doesn't seem to be any plans to cease development any time soon.
Although the recent Microsoft and FTC leak notes that an official Oblivion remaster may be coming in the future, Rebelzize vowed to eventually release Skyblivion when speaking to IGN in an interview. After many years of development, Rebelzize is looking forward to releasing the Oblivion remake in 2025, and the developer believes an official Oblivion remaster is beneficial to the Skyblivion project and Elder Scrolls fans alike. Rebelzize says that the rumor is "good news for everyone" since more people will be able to experience Oblivion for the first time. The developer also reiterates that the official Oblivion remaster would offer a different experience compared to Skyblivion.
Remakes like Skyblivion are creative takes on Oblivion, according to Rebelzize. The development team's main goal for Skyblivion involves making Oblivion feel like a brand-new game released in the present day, and Rebelzize believes the official Oblivion remaster is meant to introduce quality-of-life improvements and modern features while preserving the original game. The developer doesn't expect a cease and desist since the team has been in talks with Bethesda for many years about Skyblivion, so the two projects may potentially co-exist in the near future.
Microsoft and Bethesda's official Oblivion remaster should cater to fans who are invested in the current Xbox ecosystem, whereas Skyblivion draws the appeal of PC gamers who enjoy experimenting with new Skyrim mods. Unfortunately, exact release dates for both versions of Oblivion are unknown, so fans will need to wait and follow official channels for Bethesda and the Skyblivion team in the meantime.
The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion is available now for PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.
Source: IGN