The unexpected release of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered was a success, so Bethesda Game Studios (BGS) wants to do it again.

BGS piqued the interest of many gamers by shrouding the remastered version of Oblivion in mystery. Rumors had been circulating for months, but BGS only confirmed its existence with the announcement and immediate release on April 22. This was a true shadow drop, an unusual marketing strategy in which developers and publishers do not advertise their products in advance but instead focus on maximizing surprise.

At the recent Golden Joystick Awards, Tom Mustaine, BGS’s director of external projects, mentioned Tango Gameworks’ previous shadow drop of Hi-Fi Rush as a successful trial. He also indicated that the studio would like to do more shadowdrops.

“We had a really successful shadow drop with Hi-Fi Rush through Xbox and Bethesda. Todd Howard has wanted to shadowdrop things for a long time because it’s great to be able to say, ‘Here it is; get it today.’ It’s very valuable. We all have short attention spans now. Take Grand Theft Auto, for example. I want it today. It’s an interesting strategy. I don’t know what’s next, but I hope it’s not the last. Personally, I think it was great to take over the internet for a day and give people exactly what they wanted the moment we talked about it. I’m a fan of that, but I’d love to see more people do it,” said Mustaine.

Indeed, Todd Howard, the head of BGS, is well known for his affinity for shadow drops. He recently said he wants the studio’s next highly anticipated game, The Elder Scrolls VI, to be released as soon as it’s ready for fans. However, it is unlikely that Microsoft would agree to this for such a major title, especially since it is the sequel to one of the most successful games, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. A more traditional marketing campaign would be the safest approach, although a middle ground might be possible with a Fallout 4-style reveal at Summer Game Fest in June, followed by a November release.

Bethesda could shadow drop the Fallout 3 remaster, similar to the Oblivion remaster. Rumor has it that it is being developed alongside the Fallout: New Vegas remaster.

Source: WCCFTech, Gamesradar