Oblivion Remastered Is So Extensive, Original Lead Designer Suggests “Remaster” Isn’t the Right Word: Calls It Oblivion 2.0

As excitement continues to surge following the surprise launch of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, a familiar voice from the game’s past has weighed in with high praise—and a strong opinion about its classification. Bruce Nesmith, the original Design Director of Oblivion, who later led development on Skyrim and worked on Starfield, has gone on record stating that the term “remaster” may not do the new release justice, suggesting the more appropriate label would be Oblivion 2.0.

In an interview with VideoGamer, Nesmith expressed genuine surprise at the scope of the overhaul delivered by Bethesda in collaboration with developer Virtuos—the same studio currently working on Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater. Unlike a typical remaster which focuses primarily on resolution upgrades or texture improvements, Oblivion Remastered features a comprehensive reworking of animations, user interface, leveling mechanics, and the implementation of Unreal Engine 5 to power its vastly improved visuals.

"I was assuming this was going to be a texture update. I didn’t really think it was going to be the complete overhaul that they’ve announced it to be… to completely redo the animations, the animation system, put in the Unreal Engine, change the leveling system, change the user interface. I mean, you’re touching every part of the game. That’s a staggering amount of remastering. It almost needs its own word, quite frankly."
— Bruce Nesmith, Original Design Director of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

For Nesmith, who devoted years to the original 2006 release, seeing the familiar world of Cyrodiil brought to life with such clarity and depth was an emotional moment. He described the work done as transformative, not merely cosmetic—a full-system reimagining that updates every meaningful part of the original gameplay loop.

One of the most fascinating aspects of Oblivion Remastered is its hybrid development structure. While the visuals now run on Unreal Engine 5, the core gameplay logic continues to operate on the legacy Gamebryo-based framework. This makes the remaster not only faithful to its roots but also deeply moddable. Within days of launch, over 270 mods had already been uploaded to Nexus Mods, many of them being ports of existing Oblivion mods.

With this fusion of modern visual fidelity and classic mechanics, Oblivion Remastered seems poised to offer both nostalgic and entirely new experiences for longtime fans and new players alike. Whether or not the industry adopts a new term like "Oblivion 2.0" to describe such transformative projects remains to be seen—but the sentiment behind it is clear: this is not just a touch-up. It's a revitalization.

Do you agree with Bruce Nesmith that Oblivion Remastered deserves to be called Oblivion 2.0 instead of a mere remaster? Vote in our poll and share your thoughts in the comments below!