Recent documents revealed amid an ongoing lawsuit between Microsoft and the Federal Trade Commission appear to confirm plans to remaster Fallout 3 and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.
The lawsuit came from the company's then-proposed acquisition of Bethesda Game Studios' parent company ZeniMax Media as the commission attempted to block its purchase of the company. Amid the lawsuit, documents were revealed that laid out Bethesda's proposed release schedule at the time, in which the company lists remasters of two of its most iconic titles, Fallout 3 and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.
According to the documents, before the merger, the remaster of Oblivion was supposed to be released in 2022, with the Fallout 3 remaster set for a 2024 release. Notably, the document also mentions several unreleased franchise entries such as DOOM: Year Zero and even the previously announced Elder Scrolls VI, which was previously intended for a 2024 release.
Given that several of Bethesda's slated releases from the time still have yet to come out, the acquisition clearly had an impact on their plans for the 2020s. Despite this, many of the proposed titles, like the previously revealed Indiana Jones game from Bethesda, are still reportedly in the works under Microsoft, who have confirmed its eventual release.
The leaks also reveal plans for a mid-generation upgrade to the Xbox Series X which would remove the disc drive as well as an updated Series S that would supposedly have more powerful hardware and a brand-new controller model codenamed "Sebile." There were also plans for new IPs such as the vague Project Platinum and another unnamed licensed title.
Interestingly, the documents also show revenue forecasts for the planned releases, projecting the amount the company expected to make from every title. Some of the forecasts include games like Redfall and Deathloop, which ZeniMax published and both of which saw lackluster financial performances, with the former being lambasted by critics and fans upon release.
Microsoft has remained tight-lipped about any plans for Oblivion and Fallout 3 remasters, though, with the success of Bethesda's space RPG Starfield, which released exclusively on the Xbox Series X|S and PC, it has ample resources to make these games a reality. Meanwhile, the original versions of both games are both available on the Xbox Series X|S through backward compatibility, giving players the chance to check the titles out for themselves.
Source: The Verge