Skyblivion Unveils Completed Final Region in New Gameplay at C3

Skyblivion, the ambitious modding project that’s bringing The Elder Scrolls IV back to life within the Skyrim engine, just gave us a sneak peek of its latest quest gameplay at Community Creations Con (C3), setting the stage for its anticipated 2025 debut.

Originally planned as a half-hour showcase, the gameplay preview stretched to almost 40 minutes. Sometimes, you know, an NPC just decides to park themselves somewhere unexpected, throwing off your plans in the most delightful way.

As the Skyblivion team has recently wrapped up the crucial landscaping phase of Cyrodiil’s final region, the Niben Basin and Valley, this gameplay preview zoomed in on the area surrounding the city of Cheydinhal. We got a taste of two quests—one from the Fighters Guild, which revolves around settling Biene Amelion’s debt, and the iconic “A Brush with Death.” If that title feels familiar, it’s the quest where you enter dark elf Rythe Lythandas’s painted dimension to save the artist trapped with his enchanted brush.

What really stood out in these previews was the meticulous detail and polish of Skyblivion’s world. At one point, project lead Kyle ‘Rebelzize’ Rebel casually strolled into Cheydinhal, a place I’ve traversed countless times in both original and modded Oblivion. It was heartwarming to see how the team managed to preserve the nostalgic essence while smoothing out some of its older, rougher edges.

The painted world segment exemplified this perfectly. In vanilla Oblivion, it might feel like a simple space benefiting from the game’s built-in painterly charm. But in Skyblivion, it’s a fully-realized dungeon, stunningly rendered within Skyrim’s more realistic style, culminating in a setting designed to mimic raw canvas.

Another exciting feature is the revamped interaction menu UI. It’s been transformed into something distinctively reminiscent of Oblivion’s style, counterbalancing the more Skyrim-like inventory, compass, and map interface — fitting, since TES V’s engine is in play. And watch out for a fun surprise: while you’re tangling with skeleton foes, you might notice a tail on one. That’s because the modders crafted unique skeleton models for elves and beast races, elevating the experience beyond even Skyrim’s standards.

While there’s no set release date beyond the general 2025 expectation, the modders reassured us in this showcase that they’re optimistic about hitting their target: “We are confident we can get it out this year.”

What are your thoughts on this latest glimpse of Skyblivion? We’d love to hear from you below. Don’t miss our recent chat with Skyblivion project lead, Rebel, especially if you’re curious about those whispers of an official Oblivion remake.