The unexpected release of *The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered* on April 22 sent shockwaves across the gaming community, but it left indie developers scrambling as their planned launches on the same day were overshadowed. Jonas Antonsson, co-founder of indie publisher Raw Fury, voiced his concerns on social media about how these "massive" shadow-drops from big-name titles can completely 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 highlighted the challenges indie developers face: "But from the perspective of indies and indie publishers, this is the problem with these sort 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 *Post Trauma* by Red Soul Games, a puzzle horror game published by Raw Fury on April 22. Inspired by PS2 era classics, *Post Trauma* lets players "navigate environments, tackle threats, and meet other lost characters in the depths of the Gloom." Antonsson expressed his sympathy for the team and the developer, who had poured years of dedication into the game: "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 tweet on April 22 reflected their frustration: "Thank god Post Trauma was the only notable release of today and nothing else happened!"
From the perspective of Bethesda and its parent company Microsoft, the shadow-drop of *Oblivion Remastered* was a triumph. The game saw a strong launch on Steam and has dominated online conversations, with players reveling in the nostalgia of quirky character faces, classic bugs, and beloved memes.
The impact of *Oblivion Remastered* has been felt even by other games promoted heavily by Microsoft. This week, *Clair Obscur: Expedition 33* publisher Kepler Interactive acknowledged the intense competition, likening the situation to the 'Barbenheimer' phenomenon. Both *Clair Obscur: Expedition 33* and *Oblivion Remastered* were launched directly into Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
For Raw Fury, setting the release date for *Post Trauma* without foreknowledge of *Oblivion Remastered* was unfortunate timing. It's a situation that may simply be chalked up to bad luck.
For those diving into *Oblivion Remastered*, we offer a comprehensive guide covering everything from an expansive Interactive Map to complete Walkthroughs for the Main Questline and every Guild Quest, tips on How to Build the Perfect Character, Things to Do First, all PC Cheat Codes, and much more.
