Bethesda’s RPGs are known for their extensive mod support, butThe Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remasteredis breaking from a core underpinning of what made mods so viable. SinceMorrowind, titles in theElder Scrollsand Fallout series have traditionally been developed in Gamebryo or its successor, the Creation Engine, establishing an unbroken lineage of adaptability.Oblivion Remasteredpivots to Unreal Engine 5, which escapes some of the Creation Engine’s awkward limitations while inherently posing some new challenges.
This isn’t the first time that Bethesda has given the modding scene a shake-up with a remaster, andSkyrim—Special Editionbroke compatibility with many classic mods. Without an engine change, however, converting existing projects toSpecial Editionwas often a very doable process, and many iconic mods available for the game today are built forSpecial Editionrather than the original release. Unfortunately, it looks like the modding scene forOblivion Remasteredwon’t have the same easy path that previous Bethesda games have established.
Oblivion Remastered Doesn’t Support Mods
Bethesda Might Be Breaking Tradition
PerBethesda’s official support page,The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastereddoes not support mods. While this doesn’t mean mods won’t exist for the game on PC, it does mean they won’t have the same support as other Bethesda games, potentially limiting the possibilities and making total conversion projects with new stories and settings less likely. Bethesda games have also frequently broken the norm bysupporting mods on console, but no console mods will be possible forOblivion Remasteredwithout support.
Will Mod Support Come To Oblivion Remastered Later On?
Never Say Never
Although the wording of Bethesda’s current support notice doesn’t suggest any planned mod support in the future, it’s not impossible that things could change.Mod support is sometimes a post-launch addition, and it took a number of months to come toStarfield.Oblivion Remasteredis off to a strong start, shooting toover 150,000 concurrent playerson Steam (as recorded bySteamDB) hours after its release, which could help make mod support a priority in the future.
That being said,the switch to Unreal Engine 5 does make it less likely than in other examples, as the Creation Kit template that Bethesda has used for other recent games wouldn’t transfer in the same way. For now, Bethesda recommends uninstalling mods and then verifying game files if mods cause problems on PC.
If you’re looking to play a radically different version ofOblivion, you might be better off installing overhaul mods for the original games rather than diving into the remaster. With a fresh coat of paint and some new mechanics and quality-of-life features,The Elder Scrolls 4:Oblivion Remasteredmight still provide a better experience, but it’s not one that will have the same level of freedom to change things up anytime soon.
