Summary
- Skyblivion and Oblivion Remastered make 2025 a significant year for Elder Scrolls fans, offering unique gameplay experiences.
- Skyblivion aims to completely reimagine Cyrodiil, focusing on innovative dungeon layouts and ambitious landscapes.
- Both Bethesda and the Skyblivion team view their projects symbiotically, with Skyblivion providing a modern alternative to Oblivion Remastered.
The Skyblivion team has shared a stunning set of images that compare the environments from the original Oblivion with that of the Skyrim mod, which has been in development since 2012. Between Oblivion Remastered and Skyblivion, 2025 is set to be a major year for The Elder Scrolls fans and Skyrim players alike. The province of Cyrodiil has once again entered the spotlight, as players have taken up their mantle as the Hero of Kvatch, exploring the idyllic heartlands of the Empire in Virtuos' remaster.
However, Oblivion Remastered won't be the only ambitious Cyrodiil project to launch in 2025, as the Skyblivion team has been hard at work to release their remake by the end of the year. Where the two versions of Oblivion differ is in the approach: Virtuos attempted to preserve as much of the original game world as possible. On the other hand, Skyblivion looks to completely re-imagine Cyrodiil – especially when it comes to Ayleid ruins, major cities, and even entire climate zones.
Skyblivion Lead Weighs in on Official Oblivion Remaster
The project lead of the upcoming Skyblivion mod addresses the increasingly likely possibility of an official Oblivion remaster coming out soon.
This difference in philosophy couldn't be more apparent than in the new images revealed by Skyblivion on May 18, 2025. By design, the locations in Skyblivion are more ambitious than their Oblivion counterparts, as the developers introduced unique layouts for many of the game's dungeons, such as Malada, Fort Blueblood, and even the iconic Vilverin. They also shared stunning 360 screenshots of landscapes such as The West Weald and Bleaker's Way.
Skyblivion Comparison Screenshots
It's no secret that Skyblivion has attracted plenty of attention from The Elder Scrolls fans over the years, and the developers even got invited by Bethesda to mark the launch of Oblivion Remastered. Rather than the two projects being in conflict with one another, both Bethesda and the Skyblivion team see them as having a symbiotic relationship. Oblivion Remastered players will most likely be interested in checking out Skyblivion, as one is a modern revamp of Oblivion, while the other is a full-blown remake of Oblivion within Skyrim.
As such, Skyblivion will veer closer to Skyrim in terms of combat and overall gameplay – effectively giving players an alternative to the more faithful Oblivion Remastered. While it remains to be seen if Bethesda will draw any inspiration from both of these projects when making The Elder Scrolls 6, it cannot be denied that interest in the franchise remains very high. The team at Skyblivion is on schedule to release the remake in 2025, but no specific date has been given yet.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 81 /100 Critics Rec: 83%
- Released
- November 11, 2011
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Bethesda Game Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Bethesda Softworks
