It’s the driving pressure behind lots of your favourite video video games launched in the previous couple of years, but it surely largely flies underneath the radar. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, Cyberpunk 2077, and Metallic Gear Strong Delta: Snake Eater are just some of the various video games that have been and proceed to be supported by Virtuos, one of many largest impartial online game firms on the planet with over 20 studios globally using about 4,000 workers. Nonetheless, the typical gamer in all probability doesn’t know Virtuos exists.
That’s beginning to change although, with Virtuos’ profile rising with every new launch. Oblivion Remastered is maybe Virtuos’ greatest undertaking but, and its heavy involvement with its improvement was made a key a part of the sport’s announcement by Bethesda. In the meantime, CD Projekt livestreams function members of the Virtuos improvement group. Wanting forward, Ken Levine’s BioShock follow-up, Judas, and Riot’s League of Legends preventing recreation 2XKO, will each come out with Virtuos’ assist.
But it surely has not all been plain crusing. Final month, Virtuos laid off roughly 7% of its international workforce, or round 270 workers. In a press release, Virtuos mentioned it was “evolving to fulfill the altering wants” of its companions and the broader video video games business. A lot of the layoffs affected Virtuos’ Asian workforce.
In a wide-ranging interview with IGN at gamescom 2025, Virtuos CEO Gilles Langourieux mentioned the corporate’s historical past, its latest tasks, and what it’s hoping to realize sooner or later. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, which has gone an extended approach to placing Virtuos on the map this yr, was an enormous a part of our chat.
Langourieux mentioned Virtuos’ experience when it got here to remasters (Batman, Remaining Fantasy, Darkish Souls Remastered) meant it was a pure a part of the dialog round Oblivion’s return.
“We managed to persuade Todd Howard and his group that we may do it,” Langourieux started. “He had recognized us for some time. After which how does it work? You show what you are able to throughout a pilot section. You ship a convincing vertical slice or pilot. You align with the group at Bethesda on what they imagine is the extent of high quality or element required to fulfill their viewers purpose, and also you proceed all the best way to closing ship.”
Virtuos developed Oblivion Remastered utilizing Unreal Engine 5. It runs at 4K decision and 60 frames per second, as you’d count on, however different modifications are extra significant. All the pieces from the leveling methods to character creation, and fight animations to in-game menus have been improved. In the meantime, there’s numerous new dialogue, a correct third-person view, and new lip sync know-how. The modifications went down effectively with followers, a few of whom imagine Oblivion Remastered could be extra precisely described as a remake. Bethesda, nevertheless, has defined why it went down the remaster route.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered Screenshots
Langourieux mentioned Virtuos knew it had to make use of a brand new engine for Oblivion Remastered to deliver the basic RPG updated by way of graphics and efficiency, but additionally retain the unique engine so veteran followers would acknowledge Oblivion’s gameplay. As Todd Howard himself described it, Bethesda was eager for the Oblivion remaster to have a few of that “outdated allure.”
“We realized that one of many options must be to mix the unique engine with a brand new engine. Virtuos occurs to have an extended expertise working with Unreal,” Langourieux mentioned. “We have completed quite a few tasks like this the place we mix — it is known as engine pairing — we pair two engines to work collectively in order that the gameplay comes from the unique engine, however the rendering and the brand new fashionable bells and whistles come from the brand new engine. And our expertise doing that, our expertise with Unreal, was one of many issues we needed to deliver to the desk.”
In the meantime, a whole lot of artists have been mobilized to work on Oblivion Remastered to “nail” the Oblivion artwork type whereas additionally modernizing it. Virtuos had its studio in Paris lead the undertaking, making technical, design, and creative decisions concerning the recreation, with the assistance of different Virtuos studios. At Bethesda, a small group underneath the direct supervision of Todd Howard monitored Virtuos’ work.
At peak, round 400 folks at Virtuos labored on Oblivion Remastered. This was a real AAA improvement effort unfold out throughout quite a few years. The tip outcome was a profitable launch, a online game performed by over 9 million folks at this level, and a (largely) impressed fanbase. Virtuos itself was made part of Bethesda’s official Oblivion Remastered announcement video, which Langourieux appreciated.
“Typically once you sort out these sorts of tasks, you are concerned about speaking a few new developer since you’re anxious that new developer identify may not resonate so effectively with the viewers,” he mentioned.
“They put their cash the place their mouth is by supporting us very transparently and brazenly, and that has given us extra visibility than different tasks have. So credit score to them for that.”
Cyberpunk 2077, Oblivion Remastered, Metallic Gear Strong Delta: Snake Eater… what’s subsequent? With all kinds of rumors swirling round about extra Bethesda remasters, may Virtuos be serving to out with, say, a Fallout remaster of some description? In fact, Langourieux received’t identify names, however did discuss typically about what Virtuos has up its sleeve, and teased “comparable” titles to Oblivion Remastered coming from the corporate within the years forward.
“I will not be capable to share specifics,” he started, “however what I can say is that you have seen what we’re able to for an enormous, impactful remaster like Oblivion. You may count on extra comparable titles to come back out of Virtuos within the coming years. And you can too count on to see us concerned in increasing the lifetime of large-life titles. These could be two instructions that I am tremendous enthusiastic about.”
However will Virtuos get away of its help act standing and make an unique IP of its personal? Langourieux appears pleased with the place his firm is at proper now, insisting “not everybody aspires to be the rockstar.”
“We’ve got a number of ambition,” Langourieux mentioned. “We have constructed one of many largest, most steady recreation builders within the enterprise, and we intend to proceed doing that. We have completed it by being very clear about what we’re good at and the way we are able to serve our shoppers within the business. And there is a number of ambition with that. Not all the pieces is about being the rockstar. Not everybody aspires to be the rockstar. We’re enjoying a unique function.”
Wesley is Director, Information at IGN. Discover him on Twitter at @wyp100. You may attain Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
