Skyblivion is a project run by volunteers working under the TESRenewal modding group. It aims to bring Oblivion to a new generation of gamers and bring it to long-time fans of Skyrim and the series. Remaking Oblivion in the Skyrim Engine was the goal of the project and after more than a decade, the game has a 2025 release date at the latest. Considering that the project is the size of a AAA game and is made by a team that’s fully run by volunteers, it’s a magnificent achievement. The original Oblivion and Skyrim both took several years to develop and release as well and those were both made by a team of full-time developers.
The team working on Skyblivion grew in size thanks to several people volunteering their time and effort after 2016’s first Skyblivion trailers. The project has been under work since 2012 and finally has a release date. On January 15, they released the official trailer for the game which showcases the game’s different regions, the plot and more. They also mentioned the 2025 date in the post. Looking at the video, it bears a strong resemblance to the Cyrodiil of the original Oblivion release, but the textures and quality of the graphics have significantly improved thanks to the usage of the Skyrim engine. Combat and attacking in the game also look smoother and the release is eagerly anticipated by the Elder Scrolls fanbase, evidenced by the two million plus views the latest trailer has garnered in less than two weeks.
Future TESRenewal projects
Skyblivion is one of many such things that TESRenewal is aiming to achieve. Other projects look at recreating Elder Scrolls games into the engines of future releases. Morrowblivion for example was a project created by the group that remade all of Morrowind and its DLCs for the Oblivion engine. A separate team under TESRenewal is also working on Skywind, a port of Morrowind for the Skyrim engine.
The project’s PR manager, Rebelzize, mentioned in the caption below the trailer that the 2025 date was an estimate and it might be possible to finish earlier. However, this is dependent on how much free time the volunteers can devote to the project and how many new people jump on board.
The team is still looking for volunteers to help speed up the release, so if this is a project you’re interested in, you can apply here. You can also check out some streams which showcase some behind-the-scenes content of the game’s development here.
While this is indeed a remake of an existing title, the fact that a group of volunteers that are working in their free time, can undertake such a huge project and successfully finish it is a massive feat. The quality of the game, the adherence to the storylines of the original Oblivion, and the combat mechanics all look phenomenal. Skyblivion is a work of art, one that an entire community is eagerly anticipating.
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