Fallout 3: Remastered is coming, here's what to expect thanks to Oblivion Remastered

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After years of rumors, Bethesda and Xbox shadow-dropped The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered this week, finally putting to rest the big question mark surrounding what it will look and feel like to play. The game runs on the original engine/code underneath an Unreal Engine 5 wrapper, with several quality-of-life improvements. It's a remaster that looks like a full-on built-from-the-ground-up remake.

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Several sources say Fallout 3: Remastered is currently in development.

Chatter about a potential Oblivion remaster and remake project has been circulating for years. The project appeared on leaked court documents outlining an Xbox Game Studios roadmap during Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard's legal battle. The same document also listed a Fallout 3 remaster from Bethesda, a project that insiders and known sources have confirmed as currently being developed.

Based on the success of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, we're expecting Fallout 3: Remastered to follow a similar approach or blueprint to its development. As Oblivion Remastered's developer, Virtuos, is a global studio with over 4,000 people across 25 locations, there's also a good chance that Bethesda is collaborating with the same team on the Fallout 3 reimagining.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion launched in 2006, and Fallout 3 followed in 2008, debuting on PC and Xbox 360. Both titles run on the same engine, but Fallout 3 features fundamental changes to support pause-and-attack VAT combat alongside real-time first-person shooting. Like Oblivion, Fallout 4 is fondly remembered as one of the all-time great RPGs; however, aspects of its design are dated, alongside the game's visuals.

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Fallout 3's visuals could benefit from an overhaul.

With The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered as the template, here's what we can expect to see with the upcoming launch of Fallout 3: Remastered.

• Completely new visuals created in Unreal Engine 5 with Lumen ray-tracing, dynamic lighting, and support for modern technologies like DLSS, FSR, and Frame Generation
• Completely new character, armor, and weapon models
• Enhanced NPC and enemy animations with lip synching for dialogue
• New animations for using weapons (melee and ranged)
• More environmental detail across the Capital Wasteland, with more varied lighting and weather compared to the green-tinged original
• Refined first-person and third-person movement and gunplay
• Refined leveling and progression that could include elements from Fallout 4
• Enhanced UI for the game and Pip Boy
• Remastered soundtrack, dialogue, and sound effects
• New accessibility features
• All DLC and expansions to be included in the release

There's currently no official word on Fallout 3: Remastered, but rumors suggest that the release could coincide with the second season of the Fallout TV show, which is on track for 2026. And like with The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, we probably won't get an official announcement until the actual day that it drops.