Summary
Recent data shows that the success ofOblivion Remasteredis possibly making some gamers return to olderElder Scrollstitles such asSkyrimandMorrowind. New releases in well-known franchises often inspire some gamers to return to more classic entries, and this time around, it seems that even incredibly popular titles likeSkyrimhave benefited from the recent release.
The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remasteredwas shadow droppedon April 21, after its existence had been rumored for months. Published by Bethesda and developed by Virtuos, the remaster essentially overhauled the game with improved graphics made using Unreal Engine 5, but it maintained the most important aspects of the classic open world.
Due to the success ofOblivion Remastered, otherElder Scrollsgames are being positively affected. According to reports fromTrueAchievements,Skyrim Special Editionhas seen an increase of 26% in Xbox players, while the game’s standard version has risen by 28% on the same platform. The originalOblivionwas also affected, jumping by 113% this week, andMorrowindhas seen a “slight boost in players,” which was not as significant as these other, more recent titles. The data also indicated thatThe Elder Scrolls Onlinehas seen an increase of 5% in its player count. However, the reports attribute this hike to the announcement of a new expansion for the game.
Skyrim Gets a Player Boost After Oblivion Remastered Is Released
While the data does not explain the exact reason why gamers are returning to the originalOblivionandSkyrim, it’s not hard to speculate.Oblivion Remasteredreached over 4 million playersin only three days, and this success has likely prompted gamers to go back to previous games to compare their experience or just feel the nostalgia.
This is not the first time that some of Bethesda’s old games have been influenced by major releases. Last year, theplayer count ofFallout 4surged by 33%soon after Amazon’s live-action TV show inspired by the franchise was released.
It’s possible that the popularity of the remaster may also benefit an upcoming release: Skyblivion, a project that aims to remakeOblivionusingSkyrim. A few weeks ago, thelead developer ofSkyblivionstated his support ofOblivion Remastered, confirming that his “passion project” will still be released. While it’s impossible to say how popularSkyblivionwill be, gamers will likely be interested in comparing it to the official remaster, which could increase its player count after the mod is released later in 2025.
