The unexpected shadow-drop release of *The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered* on April 22 sent shockwaves across the gaming community. However, this sudden launch posed significant challenges for indie developers who had planned to release their games on the same day. Jonas Antonsson, co-founder of indie publisher Raw Fury, expressed his concerns on social media, highlighting how "massive" shadow-drops from major titles can overshadow smaller releases.
"I loved (when younger) and still absolutely love Oblivion and I’m personally excited to see it get a breath of new life and being introduced to a whole new generation of players," Antonsson stated. However, he pointed out the difficulties faced by indie developers: "But from the perspective of indies and indie publishers, this is the problem with these sorts of massive shadow drops. Everything more or less gets buried. We don’t have the cash nor muscle to throw around, so everything is carefully planned. Including when to release, based on other releases etc - to try to maximize the chances of getting attention."
Antonsson specifically mentioned Red Soul Games’ *Post Trauma*, a puzzle horror game inspired by PS2-era classics, which Raw Fury published on April 22. In *Post Trauma*, players navigate environments, tackle threats, and encounter other lost characters in the depths of the Gloom. Antonsson expressed empathy for his team and the developers who had dedicated years to their project: "Love the game that dropped but feel the pain for our team and especially the developer we’ve worked with for years - who has poured his heart and soul into his game."
Raw Fury's frustration was evident in their sarcastic tweet on April 22: "Thank god Post Trauma was the only notable release of today and nothing else happened!"
From Bethesda and parent company Microsoft's perspective, the shadow-drop of *Oblivion Remastered* has been a resounding success. The game saw a strong start on Steam and has dominated online discussions, with players reveling in the return of iconic character faces, nostalgic bugs, and beloved memes.
Even other games that Microsoft has heavily marketed are feeling the impact of *Oblivion Remastered*. This week, *Clair Obscur: Expedition 33* publisher Kepler Interactive acknowledged the 'Barbenheimer' effect of launching the same week as *Oblivion Remastered*. Both games were launched directly into Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
For Raw Fury, setting the release date for *Post Trauma* without knowing about *Oblivion Remastered* was unfortunate timing. It may be remembered as just one of those unpredictable events in the gaming industry.
For those eager to dive into *Oblivion Remastered*, we offer a comprehensive guide that includes an expansive Interactive Map, complete Walkthroughs for the Main Questline and every Guild Quest, tips on How to Build the Perfect Character, Things to Do First, every PC Cheat Code, and much more.
