Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remake Hits No.3 in US Sales

Beyond its impressive Steam concurrent player numbers and Bethesda's official announcement of 4 million players, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered has cemented its hit status by becoming the third best-selling game of 2025 in the U.S. after just one week on the market.

Oblivion Remastered launched unexpectedly on April 22 and achieved a peak concurrent player count of 216,784 on Steam. While notable, this figure only tells part of the story, as the game also released simultaneously on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and was available through Game Pass.

The title has now reached a new milestone. According to Circana's Mat Piscatella, who shared the news on social media, Oblivion Remastered secured the third-highest dollar sales for a 2025 release in the U.S. after its first week. It currently trails only Monster Hunter: Wilds and Assassin's Creed: Shadows on the year's sales chart.

It's important to note that Circana's sales data does not include player counts from subscription services. This means Oblivion Remastered's commercial success is even more significant, as it was available from day one on Microsoft's Game Pass.

Given this success, more Bethesda remasters seem inevitable, with Fallout 3 (which was previously leaked in 2023) or Fallout: New Vegas most frequently suggested as the next candidates.

If either title is indeed next, what improvements can players anticipate? Bruce Nesmith, a designer on Fallout 3, has highlighted the game's "not good" gunplay, which he believes Bethesda would significantly overhaul for a modern release.

In an interview with VideoGamer, Nesmith suggested a Fallout 3 Remaster would likely feature shooting mechanics more aligned with Fallout 4. "What did you see in Fallout 4? That will tell you what they felt was necessary to change from Fallout 3," Nesmith said.

"I know in Fallout 4 there was a lot of work done on the gun combat, because Fallout 3 was the first time they ever tried to do a shooter-style game. And, well, I think the work that was done was amazing."

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered Screenshots

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Developed by remake specialist Virtuos using Unreal Engine 5, Oblivion Remastered boasts an extensive list of visual and gameplay enhancements. While it runs at 4K resolution and 60 frames per second as expected, the more meaningful changes are found elsewhere. Everything from the leveling systems and character creation to combat animations and in-game menus has been refined. The release also features substantial new dialogue, a fully realized third-person camera view, and advanced lip sync technology. These comprehensive changes have resonated with fans, with some arguing the project qualifies more as a full remake. Bethesda has, however, explained its reasoning for opting for the remaster label.

Nesmith believes a Fallout 3 Remaster would receive improvements on a similar scale to Oblivion Remastered.

"[Fallout 3 combat] didn’t hold up to shooters at the time," he noted. "Also, it’s an RPG shooter, it’s not a run-and-gun shooter. But a lot of work was done on that for Fallout 4. So I anticipate seeing a lot of that work go into it, assuming they’re doing the same thing."

"Oblivion wasn’t just brought up to the 2011 version of Skyrim," he added. "It was brought up to something that, at least on the surface, looks like it exceeds the most recent graphics update in Skyrim." Nesmith has previously stated that The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered is so impressive it could be dubbed "Oblivion 2.0."

Bethesda has a busy slate ahead, with ongoing development on The Elder Scrolls VI and potentially more Starfield content. Combined with potential remasters, continued support for Fallout 76, and the impending New Vegas setting for Season 2 of the Fallout TV show, fans have much to look forward to in the coming years.

For those diving into the world, we offer a comprehensive guide to everything in Oblivion Remastered. This includes an expansive Interactive Map, complete Walkthroughs for the Main Questline and every Guild Quest, a guide on How to Build the Perfect Character, key Things to Do First, every PC Cheat Code, and much more.