Skyblivion — the highly anticipated fan remake of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion developed by volunteer modding group TESRenewal — has released its first major update since The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered launched in April, reconfirming the project's planned 2025 release.
This ambitious fan project recreates Oblivion using Skyrim's Creation Engine. What began as a straightforward port over a decade ago has evolved into a comprehensive remake featuring numerous enhancements and original content additions. IGN previously interviewed one of the developers in 2021 about this passion project.
While some fans speculated that Bethesda's official remaster release might overshadow Skyblivion, the development team clarified their positive relationship with Bethesda in an official statement, noting the company has been "consistently supportive of community projects." Notably, Bethesda gifted free copies of their official remaster to the Skyblivion team.
The latest update directly addresses why Skyblivion remains relevant despite the official remaster's release. "Skyblivion represents a complete ground-up reimagining that modernizes Oblivion beyond just visual upgrades," the team explained in their new development video. "We're introducing redesigned environments, expanded gameplay systems, and restoring previously cut content while maintaining the core experience that made the original so special."
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The 15-minute video showcases significant progress, including the restoration of the never-completed eighth city of Sutch - a location cut from the original game but preserved in concept art and coding references. As highlighted by PC Gamer, players will also experience a completely reimagined version of Anvil's coastal settlement.
"After a decade of development, we're nearing our goal of bringing Oblivion into Skyrim's engine while enhancing every aspect," the team noted. "With our 2025 target approaching, we're revealing more exciting features including the Gold Coast region, Oblivion realms, character customization options, and much more."
The project continues seeking volunteers familiar with Creation Engine tools to assist with final development. In IGN's review of the official remaster, we praised it as "an excellent modernization of a classic RPG" while acknowledging some original quirks remained (8/10).
