Skyblivion Gets Encouraging Development Update

Skyblivion is entering its final state of development, as its team of modders shares a preview of Wendelbek, a large Ayleid ruin that Oblivion players can find in eastern Cyrodiil. While Bethesda is still hard at work on The Elder Scrolls 6, it can’t be denied that 2025 was a major year for the franchise. It saw the release of Oblivion Remastered in April 2025, and though a majority of players have since returned to Skyrim, it gave Bethesda valuable feedback on the upcoming Elder Scrolls title. In addition, it gave Oblivion fans a chance to revisit the lands of Cyrodiil under a fresh coat of paint.

Unlike Oblivion Remastered, which attempted to keep the open world as true to the original as possible, Skyblivion differs in that it’s a reimagining of Cyrodiil as a whole. It features expanded cities, overhauled biomes, improved dungeons, as well as bespoke minor quests with original voice acting. It is being touted as the ultimate version of Oblivion ported into Skyrim, and its team is hopeful that the mod will come out in 2026.

The latest developer update comes from the Skyblivion account on Bluesky, where the modding team shared screenshots of Wendelbek taken by Hinimoto. A few notable things separate Wendelbek from the other Ayleid ruins. For one, it features the most Welkynd Stones out of any location in Oblivion, making it a valuable point of interest for Atronach birthsigns. It’s tied to Umbacano’s questline, and it also features an altar for creating Black Soul gems. Based on the screenshots shown by the Skyblivion team, Wendelbek bears little resemblance to its original version in Oblivion – but that’s precisely the point.

Skyblivion Team Shares Latest Project Update With Wendelbek

Skyblivion was initially planned as a direct port, but the project pivoted into a proper remake in 2016. Despite being a Skyrim mod in nature, Skyblivion will reintroduce many of Oblivion‘s gameplay mechanics, such as its class and attribute system, its lockpicking, skill perks, and more. It will feature a total of 223 quests integrated into Cyrodiil’s playable area, as well as more diverse dungeons (such as frozen caverns closer to the Skyrim border or sandy crags in the Gold Coast).

In December 2025, the project’s leader, Rebelzize, announced that Skyblivion would be delayed to 2026. While most fans were understanding following the announcement, many wondered when the project would share more about its progress. What makes this February update encouraging is the fact that the modding team explicitly pointed out that “more and more of the project is entering its final state.” It is important to note that the developers have yet to share a release window for Skyblivion, but they have assured fans that development time in 2026 is largely dedicated to polishing up the project.

At launch, Skyblivion won’t feature Oblivion‘s Shivering Isles expansion pack or the Knights of the Nine, but the modding team has promised to work on the DLCs after the initial release. The other major omission from Skyblivion includes the spellmaking system from Oblivion, as the source code for the feature was lost when transferring the project from Skyrim to Skyrim: Special Edition. Skyblivion will feature mod support from top to bottom, but there is no guarantee that every Skyrim mod will be compatible with Skyblivion.

Players who are interested in checking out more about the project can visit its official website, featuring an interactive map of Cyrodiil, as well as a gallery of screenshots and concept art. It may still be a little while until Skyblivion releases to the public, but the level of polish and degree of passion poured into the project have been nothing short of impressive for many Oblivion fans.

Released

March 20, 2006

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Language, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence

Engine

havok, speedtree, gamebryo