"A Disaster": Oblivion Remastered's Shadow Drop Ruined This Game's Launch on the Same Day
The unexpected return of Oblivion Remastered electrified the gaming scene… but it also caused some unforeseen tremors, especially for indie studios like Raw Fury, who are now feeling the consequences.
While the gaming community was celebrating the triumphant comeback of Bethesda’s iconic RPG, smaller teams saw their hard work overshadowed. Raw Fury, a passionate publisher of indie games, has opened up about the struggles caused by these massive “shadow drops” that disrupt the delicate balance of the gaming release calendar.
Image credit: Sony
A legendary remaster that leaves no survivors
On April 22, Bethesda shook the gaming world with the completely unannounced launch of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered. Without any warning, the legendary 2005 adventure was reborn with a fresh look, ready to capture the hearts of a whole new generation of players. It was a spectacular marketing move, but it came with a major side effect: the overshadowing of many other games released the same day. Jonas Antonsson, founder of Raw Fury, didn’t hold back on X (formerly Twitter):
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.
— Jonas (Raw Fury guy) (@jantonsson2) April 23, 2025
But from the perspective of indies and indie publishers, this is the problem with these sort of… https://t.co/4ttunQBn4C
Raw Fury has spent over a decade championing unique indie titles like Blue Prince, Moonstone Island, Cassette Beasts, and Kathy Rain. Each release date is carefully chosen to avoid clashing with industry giants, giving these creative gems their best shot at catching the players’ attention.
But when faced with a surprise launch of such magnitude, even the best-laid plans can fall apart. As Antonsson bluntly puts it, “this is exactly the problem with these huge shadow drops”: they leave little breathing room for smaller projects to survive.
- Immediate impact: months, even years of work erased in a moment.
- Unfair competition: no indie studio can compete with the star power of a game like Oblivion.
- Loss of visibility: media and social platforms instantly shift all focus to the blockbuster release.
Post Trauma, a collateral victim of the media storm
The day’s real casualty was Post Trauma, a survival horror game by Red Soul Games and published by Raw Fury. Channeling the aesthetic of the PS2 era, this eerie gem had everything going for it… except for launching on the exact same day as Oblivion Remastered.
With a dash of dark humor, Raw Fury tried to laugh it off on X: “Good thing Post Trauma was the only major release today and nothing else happened!” But the reality was far grimmer: Bethesda’s surprise announcement completely consumed the media spotlight, leaving barely any room for indie newcomers.
Despite the frustrating situation, there’s still hope for lovers of original creations. With any luck, the unique quality of games like Post Trauma will help them shine, even in the massive shadow cast by Oblivion Remastered. In the world of gaming, there’s always light, even for the quietest stars.
