“We never intended to remake it.” Bethesda is already reaping the rewards of Oblivion Remastered, and the numbers on Steam prove it. With more than 140,000 concurrent players on launch day, the classic fantasy RPG is crushing it—and that’s just the beginning.

Right now, players are diving back into Cyrodiil, the central setting of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. In case you missed the buzz, Bethesda just dropped Oblivion Remastered, now available on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC. Although rumors had been swirling for weeks, many fans were still shocked when it became a reality. But it’s official: the game is out, and Bethesda’s bet has already paid off in full.

The reaction was immediate. Within four hours of its surprise release, Oblivion Remastered had already attracted over 140,000 concurrent players on Steam. According to SteamDB, those numbers keep rising—alongside a flood of user reviews. The game currently boasts an 83% positive rating from more than 1,700 user reviews.

Bethesda Statement on the Oblivion Remaster

These are incredible numbers, especially for a weekday launch. It’s no surprise then that Oblivion Remastered has rocketed to the top of Steam’s best-seller charts. Some criticism has been voiced, mostly focused on performance issues—particularly on Steam Deck. Developed jointly by Bethesda and Virtuos Games using Unreal Engine 5, the developers released a statement to clear up confusion: “This is a remaster, not a remake.”

“When we started the project in 2021, our goal was to breathe new life into a pivotal chapter of The Elder Scrolls series—one that shaped many games to follow,” Bethesda said. “We never intended to remake it, only to remaster it: the content should feel familiar, but enhanced through today’s technology.” The company thanked Virtuos Games—known for its work on the Metal Gear Solid 3 remake—for their support, and explained the extent of the improvements: “Art assets, animations, effects, and environmental details were all overhauled; new voice lines were recorded, while retaining the originals.”

“Gameplay systems were modernized, and the leveling system was tweaked for smoother progression and better balance. We reviewed and polished every detail, but we always kept the core intact. This remains a product of its time, and it should feel like one,” the statement concluded, ending with a thank-you to the fans and a nod to the game’s opening moment: “Enjoy your journey as you step out of the Imperial sewers.”

Source: 3djuegos