Skyblivion Unveils Final Region Foundations with New Gameplay Showcase at C3

The ambitious Skyblivion project, which aims to recreate The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion using Skyrim’s game engine, recently offered a captivating glimpse of some gameplay quests at the Community Creations Con (C3). With a release planned for 2025, excitement is building as development progresses.

Initially intended to showcase around 30 minutes of quest gameplay, the presentation stretched to an engaging 40 minutes. It turns out even NPCs have a mind of their own sometimes. You’re all set to meet a familiar character in one spot, only to find they’ve playfully deviated from their usual location.

This extensive demonstration highlighted the gorgeous landscapes in Cyrodiil, specifically focused on the Cheydinhal area, right after the Skyblivion team completed landscaping the Niben Basin and Valley. Fans were treated to quick previews of two quests: one involving the Fighters Guild, which requires players to tackle Biene Amelion’s debt, and another memorable narrative, ‘A Brush with Death’. If you don’t recall the latter, it’s the quest where you help dark elf artist Rythe Lythandas by venturing into his magical painted world.

During the C3 event, something that stood out was the remarkable attention to detail and the polish of Skyblivion’s environments. Watching project lead Kyle ‘Rebelzize’ Rebel stroll through Cheydinhal evoked a wave of nostalgia. It’s amazing how the team has preserved the essence of the original Oblivion experience while smoothing out some of its aging elements from 2006.

One particularly striking aspect was how the painted world quest has evolved. In the vanilla version, it’s a relatively simple experience, leaning heavily on the game’s artistic style. Skyblivion transforms it into an expanded and visually stunning dungeon that cleverly uses Skyrim’s realistic graphics to mirror an unpainted canvas.

A notable upgrade is in the new interaction menu UI, which injects more of that beloved Oblivion atmosphere, balancing the more modern Skyrim elements like the inventory, compass, and map. Also, keep an eye out while battling skeletons—you might spot one with an unusual anatomy. The mod introduces unique skeleton designs for elves and beast races, pushing past even Skyrim’s capabilities.

Although the team hasn’t pinned down a specific release date beyond the 2025 target, they confidently asserted in this showcase, “We are confident we can get it out this year.”

What’s your take on this sneak peek of Skyblivion’s progress? We’d love to hear your thoughts! Don’t forget to check out our freshly conducted interview with Rebel, the project lead, to hear his perspective on those tantalizing Oblivion remake rumors.