A month after its release, only a small number of players have finished the main story in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered. But that’s not too shocking for a game like this—fans are sharing that they’re too caught up in other activities.
I'm one of those players! Since the surprise launch on April 22, I’ve been enjoying Oblivion Remastered. After escaping the sewers and giving the Amulet of Kings to Jauffre at Weynon Priory, I’ve tried just about everything except the main quest. I enlisted in the Fighters Guild, journeyed across Cyrodiil, and finished plenty of side missions. I even attempted to push past the map boundaries after hearing one player succeeded.
Why? For one, the side quests in Oblivion are incredibly enjoyable (no spoilers here), but I’m also consciously delaying the main story—especially challenging parts like the siege at Kvatch—for now while keeping my character’s level relatively low.
I’ve decided to enjoy everything Oblivion has to offer until the moment I feel ready to tackle the main quest. But is there really a “right” way to approach a Bethesda game like this? That’s what makes them so special—you shape your own adventure, doing what you want, when you want, and the world still responds.
Many others appear to be doing the same. “I’m SWAMPED with OTHER THINGS, like fishing for SLAUGHTERFISH in Lake Rumare,” wrote the hilariously named Redditor MrCrispyFriedChicken in reaction to the main quest completion stats.
“I’ve already sunk 160 hours into the game, and Kvatch is still waiting,” added Roffear. “I’m one of those strange folks who genuinely enjoys the Oblivion gates, so I deliberately avoid finishing the main story until I’ve found and shut all 60 gates in my playthrough,” shared Ellert0. PlayaHatinIG-88 chimed in: “After 44 hours and a full in-game year, I still haven’t visited Weynon Priory. The poor guards in Kvatch never stood a chance.”
At the time of writing, a modest 2.97% of Xbox players had completed Oblivion Remastered's main story, while the figure on Steam was somewhat higher at 4.4%. Why the gap? It’s likely because Xbox counts Game Pass users—many of whom might have sampled the game before moving on. Steam players, on the other hand, typically purchase the title outright, so they're more invested from the start.
Ranking the Best Races in Oblivion
Ranking the Best Races in Oblivion
Still, these numbers are relatively low for Oblivion Remastered, which has already attracted more than 4 million players. But the reality is many video games have surprisingly low campaign completion rates—whether it’s a sprawling 100-hour fantasy RPG like this or a tight five-hour Call of Duty story. In fact, plenty of titles see a significant drop-off in player engagement even after the first hour or past the tutorial. That’s just the unpredictable nature of the gaming audience.
With Oblivion Remastered, the numbers could also be skewed because it’s a polished version of a classic many players already completed years ago. If you finished the main quest two decades back, you might feel less compelled to replay it now, choosing instead to admire the new graphics and gameplay enhancements. Or maybe, like one dedicated fan, you’d spend seven hours stacking books just to orchestrate the perfect Domino effect.
Thaddeus122 revealed they were nearly 100 hours in and still hadn't completed even three main story missions. They had, however, conquered the Arena and advanced through the Mages Guild. And the rest of that time? “Leveling up, saving for houses, sealing every Oblivion gate, searching for Nirnroots, and tackling a bunch of smaller quests. Oh, and I don’t use fast travel at all.”
