Bethesda Reveals and Releases The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
Bethesda is bringing back the past – and fixing it, for better or worse. Yesterday, the video game studio teased a livestream at 11:00 this morning that had something to do with The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, the 2006 installment in the action RPG series that includes 2011’s Skyrim. The livestream revealed that Bethesda and Virtuous have made The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, an updated version of the game and that it is available to play now. The livestream shows off the new graphics, which look incredible, particularly in comparison to those of the original Oblivion, which you can also see in the livestream. The contrast is striking, and you can see how big a leap this upgrade is at the 7:43-7:47 mark. This is courtesy of the Unreal Engine 5, through which the Virtuos devs created new character models and landscapes with greater detail than the previous version of the game, as well as a new lighting system that’s amazingly cinematic. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered is available now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Steam, Xbox Game Pass, and PC. You can watch Bethesda’s livestream announcement for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered below, and I recommend it, even if you’re not a fan of the Elder Scrolls games (I never played them myself) because the details that went into making this are interesting:
I know a lot of people are excited about the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2, but I liked this livestream a lot more than either of the recent Nintendo Directs aimed at their new system and its flagship game, Mario Kart World. Admittedly, a lot of that is probably due to personal taste, but this looks so much cooler than anything they advertised for the Switch 2, with the possible exception of that Bloodborne-style game (and Project 007, depending on how that shakes out). The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered looks amazing, and it appears gamers feel the same way because Oblivion Remastered is lighting up Steam; its current all-time concurrent players peak is 171,221, almost double that of Dragon Age: The Veliguard, and that’s on a Tuesday. Another leg up Oblivion Remastered has on the Switch 2 announcements is the price; while many gamers are aghast at Mario Kart World and other Switch 2 games costing as much as $79.99, this one will only run you $49.99 for the standard edition or $59.99 for the deluxe edition, the latter of which comes with new quests, armor (for you and your horse), and weapons, as well as a digital artbook and soundtrack app. It’s no wonder so many gamers are so excited; Az livestreamed it tonight on his channel, Heel vs. Babyface. However, amid all the good news, there is one hiccup, which was discovered by Mark Kern, alias Grummz; whether or not it’s a slight one is up to you:
Oblivion Remastered went with Body Types and removed Male/Female. pic.twitter.com/VX2lsIO9AI
— Grummz (@Grummz) April 22, 2025
Why did they do this?
There was zero need to change this in Oblivion Remastered.
Bring back the original Male/Female. pic.twitter.com/YFVFiJH8O3
— Grummz (@Grummz) April 22, 2025
Seriously, they just can’t help themselves. I don’t know what possesses game developers, movie studios, or anyone else to add this stuff knowing how hated it is, how it turns large swaths of the audience away, and how much support games get when they’re perceived as going against the woke grain. And in fairness, it does appear to be a very small aspect of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered; Grummz himself, one of the most vocal critics of forcing identity politics into video games, has determined this is not a dealbreaker for him, and he seems quite impressed with Oblivion Remastered so far. However, the body type choice that replaced the male/female distinction could have repercussions on the game itself, according to X user Christina Tasty:
See this is the one time it really annoys me because if it remains the same, you are explicitly choosing a gender. You’re not choosing a body type. I am not choosing to play as a man in a woman’s body. I’m not picking a female avatar. I’m picking an actual woman. Why bother?
— Christina Tasty (@ChristinaTasty) April 22, 2025
Unless the dialogue is now “you’re a Body Type 1, I’m a Body Type 2”, this made no sense to be changed
If the game doesn’t refer to your gender/has you play as an avatar/select your gender afterwards, this point would be moot, but it’s literally “Type 1/2”, it’s tryhard nonsense
— Christina Tasty (@ChristinaTasty) April 22, 2025
That’s an interesting wrinkle. I wonder how the game deals with this, as well as whether this is the only intrusion of modern identity politics on what otherwise looks like a great game. I suppose we’ll find out in the coming days as gamers make their way through The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered.
Let us know what you think about the livestream reveal for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered in the comments!
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