“Oblivion was a real defining moment in the series and for how we make games as a studio,” says Todd Howard, the studio head of Bethesda. The remastered edition features updated graphics for current hardware and includes all previous add-ons.

Despite the implication by its title that it is merely a remaster of the original game, developer Virtuous has completely remade the title using Unreal Engine 5. The studio has shared several comparisons showing the vast improvements from the game’s original 2006 release to Oblivion Remastered. Every asset in the game has been recreated from scratch, with notable enhancements in shadow realism.

There’s even a big improvement to the lip sync parts of the game, thanks to the latest technologies in Unreal Engine 5. Gameplay has also been modernized, with audio, UI, and leveling systems all updated. The new leveling system is “the best of both worlds” of Skyrim and Oblivion.

Bethesda and Virtuous have even modernized and updated the third-person view in Oblivion and added sprinting to the game. All characters have updated animations as a result of these big changes.

Rumors of an Oblivion remaster originally appeared in 2023, thanks to documents in the FTC’s case against Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard acquisition. An unannounced Fallout 3 remaster and another game in the Dishonored franchise were also part of Microsoft’s documents.