Developers of the Skyblivion project, TESRenewal modding group, have posted a new video showcasing their development progress and revealing the roadmap that tracks their remaining work for the 2025 scheduled release. This ambitious mod will effectively bring the Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion to the Skyrim engine.
What is Skyblivion?
Skyblivion is a fan-made modding project, a re-imagination of the fourth installment in the popular Elder Scrolls series. Scheduled for release in 2025, this mod can be thought of as a remake of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion inside Skyrim’s engine. The map for this mod is said to be bigger than Skyrim, with volunteer developers working on designing 40 new worldspaces and redesigning over 4000 cells.
The development of this project had officially begun in 2012, mere months after the release of Skyrim. However, it was only 2016 when enough volunteers joined the project to move it from its very early and buggy ‘tech demo’ shape. The developers announced the 2025 release window earlier this year. As it stands, the mod will be coming to Skyrim Special edition. However, you’d also have to own Oblivion with all of its DLCs to install the mod.
You will have an option to choose which specific modules of the mod you want to install, giving you freedom to choose from city, interior, armor and weapons, and landscape overhaul. This means Oblivion purists can play the mod without any of the overhauled parts.
Skyblivion progress so far
The developers are working towards redesigning the impressive nine-part map of Oblivion’s world, Cyrodiil. Amongst these nine parts, six of them have already been completed in terms of design. These completed parts include the Gold Coast, the Colovian Highlands, Heartlands, Great Forest, Jerall and Vallus Mountains, and Blackwood. Rest of the three parts are undergoing the creation process, with the world of West Weald at 15%, Nibenay Basin at 45%, and Nibenay Valley at 52%. The world of the mod boasts a total of 4391 total cells, out of which the dev team has completed the design of 3632 cells.
After landscaping, comes the meticulous task of ‘navmesh’-ing. Navmeshed landscape lets players, NPCs, and various creatures roam freely in the completed area, ready to undertake quests. In terms of navmesh, the team has so far completed around one-thirds of it.
Apart from this, 40% of the interiors of the Skyblivion have been completed, with the developers expecting on finishing all the 600 interior locations in the game by 2025.
Skyblivion is set to recreate all of the 199 unique quests of Oblivion. Over half of them have been completed so far by the modding group. They have also reported that most of Oblivion’s systems, such as spell crafting, alchemy, weather systems, and underwater combat systems have been completed in Skyblivion. So, you will be able to enjoy all the existing classes, attributes, and magic systems of Oblivion.
Skyblivion developers on the lookout for volunteers
As the project goes for its last stretch, the developers are still looking for volunteers to help them finish building this massive world and successfully bring Oblivion to match Skyrim’s standards. They are looking for 3D artists to develop architecture, flora and fauna, and clothing, texture artists, navmesh experts, quest designers, both internal and external level designers, creation kit generalists, and testers, musicians, voice actors, and video editors. If you are interested in volunteering for this amazing modding project, you can reach out to the development team here.
