Despite a former developer`s nine-year tenure ending with claims that the project has become “more of a crunch project” than a passion-driven endeavor, the creators of the ambitious mod Skyblivion are still targeting a 2025 release.
Thirteen years in the making, Skyblivion is a comprehensive project aiming to fully rebuild Bethesda`s classic Oblivion within the more contemporary engine of Skyrim. The TESRenewal team behind it emphasizes that this is no mere engine port but a comprehensive “full-scale remake,” promising new regions, dungeons, music, gameplay improvements, and item modifications.
On August 30, former Skyblivion level designer Dee Keyes publicly voiced significant concerns on X, criticizing the mod`s leadership. He labeled the 2025 release date, initially set in 2023, a “massive mistake” and asserted that the project`s actual state never matched what was showcased in promotional videos.
Keyes alleged that the team applied a “fake” level of polish to sections of the game for trailers, a standard that he believed would “never” be achievable across the entire project. He stated that his pragmatic concerns, raised with management, were consistently ignored.
“We are unpaid and part-time: This would be a massive undertaking for a paid dev team, and yet every attempt we make to beg them to postpone, we are ignored,” Keyes stressed. “It`s a sad time when even passion projects are getting rushed and have devs crunching.”
Keyes concluded his statement by drawing a stark comparison between Skyblivion`s development and Game of Thrones` controversial Season 8, claiming that two key developers, including project lead Rebelzize, are “forcing it out the door before it`s finished,” despite the team`s best efforts.
Although the Skyblivion team has not directly responded to Keyes` specific criticisms, communications lead Evan Flatt confirmed on Reddit, in a reply to a worried fan, that the project`s goal remains to launch in the targeted year (2025).
“We`ve made it clear our goal is to release this year; that being said, there is still work we need to finish,” Flatt reiterated. “Ultimately, Skyblivion will be released when the team is confident with it—our goal has been to have it ready to release this year.”
Defining “ready” is an “ongoing conversation,” Flatt noted, given that a fan-made passion project eventually requires a halt to new content additions. He conceded:
“Right now, we all agree Skyblivion isn`t ready (otherwise we would release it today). Our aim is that it will be by the end of the year, if we as a team decide that it isn`t, we will be sure to share that.”
In a recent development diary video, `The Final Stretch Towards Release,` the team underscored Skyblivion`s unique value, especially with an official Oblivion Remastered launching in April. They highlighted the mod`s ambition to “reimagine Oblivion from the ground up, bringing it in line with modern RPG standards.” A day after Keyes` statement, another video was released, showcasing the first 15 minutes of Skyblivion and reaffirming its identity as an Oblivion remake.
Project lead Rebelzize acknowledged in the video`s description that Skyblivion`s development has been an “uphill battle.”
“This last leg of development has sometimes been harder than the totality of our previous years combined,” Rebelzize commented. “The team is not quitting until we have a game for you all to play and neither am I.”
Upon its eventual release, Skyblivion will be available as a free download for PC players who possess both Skyrim: Special Edition and Oblivion: GOTY Deluxe.