By Even though the title leaves little room for doubt, there has been some misunderstanding regarding whether The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered is genuinely just a remaster or an extensive remake, and Bethesda has officially clarified the situation yet again.
In the midst of the wave of Oblivion Remastered information and discussions that surfaced yesterday, Bethesda issued a comprehensive statement outlining its aims for the game, again stating clearly what this title is. It is indeed a remaster, not a remake, everyone.
The studio also confirmed that they collaborated with the remaster experts at Virtuous, known for their work on the Nintendo Switch version of Dark Souls Remastered, for four years on Oblivion Remastered.
“When we initiated this project in 2021, our goal was to invigorate a chapter of The Elder Scrolls that paved the way for many subsequent games,” part of the statement reads. “We had no intention of remaking it – only remastering it – so that the original experience remains intact but enhanced with modern technology.”
From all of us at Bethesda Game Studios… pic.twitter.com/AKlUXrmYW5April 22, 2025
To be fair, it often feels like remakes and remasters lie on two opposite ends of a broad continuum today, with some “remasters” simply being slight upgrades of older titles and some “remakes” resembling glorified remasters with minimal retexture efforts.
Oblivion Remastered definitely occupies a position within that continuum, featuring revitalized assets in a completely new game engine, yet still functioning largely on the original code with no significant modifications to gameplay or narrative. For me, it sets a fresh standard for remasters, but it remains a remaster despite the numerous modern enhancements and quality-of-life advancements.