“The road has been long, but the end is near”: Skyblivion development is further advanced than ever

On the eve of the New Year, the team of modders from TESRenewal published a video report on the progress in the development of Skyblivion, an unofficial remake of the role-playing game The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion on the The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim engine.

Image source: TESRenewal

As it became known, the Skyblivion map is 93% ready. Seven of Cyrodiil’s nine unique regions have already been completed, with the Nibeney Basin (45%) and Nibenean Valley (80%) still in the works.

The team also expanded the map in places (to fit cities) and changed the terrain (to achieve a more natural effect) to improve the experience when exploring the game world.

As for the interiors, TESRenewal now gives priority to quest locations, which are more complex than usual, and to the development of the Imperial City (the largest number of interiors among all settlements).

In addition, 94% of three-dimensional objects (2354 out of 2508) and 193 out of 199 quests have been completed – single tasks from the Thieves Guild and Mages Guild chains, as well as story and side missions have not yet passed the first test. What else is ready:

• Navigation meshes (NavMesh), allowing NPCs to navigate the terrain – 44% (Cyrodiil), 19% (interiors), 12% (world spaces);
• 11 out of 20 unique world spaces;
• 3 of the 11 realms of Oblivion;
• All original music in addition to 24 new songs (including one for each region, three for dungeons and two for bosses).

The team, as always, needs volunteers to help complete the project.

The modders emphasized that they are focused on the main game and will start thinking about addons only after the release of Skyblivion – it is still planned for 2025. “The road has been long, but the end is near,” TESRenewal assured.

Skyblivion has been in the making for over 11 years, although the current iteration of the project has been in production since 2018. The mod will be free, but to play you will need legal copies of both Oblivion (with all the additions) and Skyrim (regular version or Special Edition).