By Totally outsells the original game
The original Oblivion was an undeniable hit back when it launched in 2006 — an open RPG that set a lot of new standards for the genre. However, its initial success has seemingly been completely overshadowed by Oblivion Remastered, almost two decades later.
The PS5 revival, which was shadow dropped on the 22nd April after months of leaks and rumours, has apparently done incredibly well for itself in the US.
Circana analyst Mat Piscatella reports that the remaster — which is really more of a remake — was the best-selling release of the month, and is the third best-selling game of 2025 so far, behind only Monster Hunter Wilds (first) and Assassin’s Creed Shadows (second).
What’s more, it was the best-selling title across all individual platforms — that’s PS5, Xbox Series, and PC.
But this is where things get interesting. Piscatella says that Remastered sold more copies in its first week or so than the original Oblivion managed in its first 15 months.
Obviously, there are a lot of factors that feed into this. For starters, when Oblivion was first released, Bethesda was far from being the globally popular developer that we know today. In fact, it was Oblivion that put the company on the map for so many.
On top of that, the power of nostalgia simply can’t be underestimated. Oblivion would go on to sell millions of units over the many years that followed its launch, and all of those people who bought it and enjoyed it will have no doubt shown interest in Remastered.
And lastly, we think the shadow drop strategy can have a significant impact in today’s gaming climate. The (relatively) simple act of just releasing a big-name game with no prior build up (minus the leaks, of course) injects so much immediate hype — and that stands out in a time when projects can be announced years in advance of their eventual launch.
Did you think Oblivion Remastered would be such a hit? Did you expect it to demolish the original game’s sales records? Close another gate in the comments section below.
[source bsky.app]
Robert (or Rob if you’re lazy) is an assistant editor of Push Square, and has been a fan of PlayStation since the 90s, when Tekken 2 introduced him to the incredible world of video games. He still takes his fighting games seriously, but RPGs are his true passion. The Witcher, Persona, Dragon Quest, Mass Effect, Final Fantasy, Trails, Tales — he’s played ’em all. A little too much, some might say.