After an exhausting wait forThe Elder Scrolls 6,The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remasteredis a refreshing change to the usual distance between games being announced and getting released. AlthoughThe Elder Scrolls 6may be an extreme example, in general it isn’t too strange to see an extended wait between a game’s announcement and its actual release date. Still, with games likeBeyond Good and Evil 2that feel like they’re never coming out, it’s nice to get something likeOblivion Remasteredthat flips the script.
While there have been rumors circulating about a possible remake ofOblivion,Oblivion Remasteredwas just officially confirmed yesterdaywhen Bethesda started a countdown to a livestream announcement. If I had to guess yesterday, I would have said that we would probably be getting the game sometime late this year, probably after all the hype fromGTA 6had some chance to die down. Though I wouldn’t have been too surprised to see it come out a bit earlier,I definitely wasn’t expecting how short I would have to wait to start playingOblivion Remastered.
The Oblivion Remaster Is Available Today
The Oblivion Remaster’s Immediate Release Was Announced On Bethesda’s Livestream
During the livestream announcement onYouTube, Tom Mustaine, Bethesda’s external projects and studio director, announced thatThe Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remasteredwas gettinga surprise release today. Since I’d been preparing to wait at least a few months to get my hands on the game,I was thrilled to realize that I could start downloading the game before the full stream had even ended. The idea of a game coming out within a day of it being officially revealed is somewhat unheard of, and I kind of hope that Bethesda is setting a precedent for more surprise reveals.
This reveal got me thinking about what other games could potentially pull off this type of surprise. Imagine the fervor if Rockstar decided to copy this stunt with the release ofGrand Theft Auto 6. The excitement of being able to play right away may even dull the sting of the game’s rumored $100 price tag. This quick announcement to release turnaround also got me thinking abouthow different it is fromThe Elder Scrolls 6’s timeline.
The Oblivion Remaster’s Release Is The Opposite Of The Elder Scrolls 6
The Elder Scrolls 6 Has Been A Long Wait And Oblivion Was Released Almost Immediately
The Elder Scrolls 6was originally announced back in 2018, meaning this June will be the seven-year anniversary. In that time, we have gotten frustratingly few updates about progress on the game, aside fromBethesda acknowledging that it’s still working onTES 6. Although fans are pretty sure we’ll be going to Hammerfell in the new game, we still don’t even have an official setting forThe Elder Scrolls 6, let alone a solid release window. The timeline of information aboutThe Elder Scrolls 6is essentially the exact opposite of what we’ve just gotten withOblivion Remastered.
Given how stark of a contrast this is, I can’t help but think that it was a deliberate choice on Bethesda’s part. After making players wait so long for new information aboutThe Elder Scrolls 6, the company likely understood that asking us to wait a long time for another game to bridge that gap would have caused some frustration. By instead releasingOblivion Remasteredright after announcing it,Bethesda has bought itself some good will, and some extra time to work onThe Elder Scrolls 6. That said, this announcement has me hopeful the wait won’t be much longer.
Oblivion Remaster’s Immediate Release Gives Me Hope That The Elder Scrolls 6 Could Be Out Sooner Than We Think
The Elder Scrolls 6 May Also Surprise Us With Its Release Date
Although there were someleaks aboutOblivion Remasteredlast week, the game’s sudden arrival still proves that Bethesda can play things pretty close to the chest without the public learning about it. This makes me hopeful that, when we get our next bit of information aboutThe Elder Scrolls 6, we won’t have to wait long to actually play the game. Now,I’m not expecting another same-day release. I’m sureThe Elder Scrolls 6will be getting a physical release and probably a Collector’s Edition. Still, it’s nice to know that the game could be near completion without us knowing.
Even if we don’t hear anything aboutThe Elder Scrolls 6right away, I’m at least happy that I can bide my time withThe Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered. With any luck, the game’s sudden release will be somewhat imitated by the next game in the series, and we’ll be seeingThe Elder Scrolls 6sooner than expected. Either way, it’s nice to have an option to revisit the world ofThe Elder Scrollswhile waiting besides just booting upSkyrimagain and slipping back into a stealth archer build for the dozenth time.
