Tech Experts Say The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered Still Suffers From Issues That Plagued It at Launch

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, without a patch on PC since July 2025, still suffers from issues that plagued it at launch, including worsening performance the more you play.

In May last year, the tech experts at Digital Foundry said The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered suffered from significant performance problems, including hitches while roaming the open world, frame-rate problems, and even performance degrading slowly with more playing time, potentially due to a memory leak.

Now, a year after the game’s release, Digital Foundry has revisited Oblivion Remastered to check in on how it performs, and found many of the same issues.

“As you may have noticed, the game hasn't been patched on PC since its 1.2 update arrived in July 2025 - a very short post-launch support window, given that the game was only released in late April the same year,” Digital Foundry said. “Unfortunately, that abandonment means that the game remains in a state that could be described as anywhere from ‘annoying’ to ‘practically unplayable,’ depending on your appetite for persistent hitches and stutters, crashing and other profound technical woes.

“It's hard to look beyond the initial design phase when it comes to apportioning blame, which sandwiched the original game's architecture within an Unreal Engine 5 front-end. Both of these elements are notoriously CPU and GPU heavy, so the combination presents with extremely poor frame-time stability that gets worse the longer you play. Still, the lack of updates suggest that Bethesda didn't feel like meaningful improvements were possible, and not even making the attempt feels even worse.”

It’s yet another damning assessment of Oblivion Remastered, which has a ‘mostly positive’ Steam user review rating for all reviews, but a ‘mixed’ user review rating for recent reviews. “Abandonware,” declared one negative review left in April. “There are still glaring bugs and performance issues. They updated twice after release and now we are getting close to one year without anything.”

“Whatever update they did last ruined the performance for me,” said another disgruntled player. “The game even lags on the main menu, when previously I was able to play the game at an acceptable level. Unfortunately I can't get a refund with over 100 hours played. Game's abandoned.”

Oblivion Remastered, overall, seems like a big success for Bethesda, which contracted Virtuos to help remake its much-loved role-playing game using Unreal Engine 5. It’s seen over 9 million players, and Bethesda development chief Todd Howard told IGN in December that the studio was “really, really pleased with how well it did.” So it seems somewhat odd that the game hasn’t seen an update since July 2025.

Digital Foundry suggests the release of the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 version of Oblivion Remastered may be the time for an update for all versions. It's due out at some point in 2026.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

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Pragmata Community Comforts a Dad Who Shared That Diana Reminds Him of His Late Daughter

The Capcom community is getting misty-eyed after one fan shared how Pragmata reminded him of his late daughter.

The subreddit for Capcom's new third-person sci-fi action game has been home to hundreds of messages from fans since it was announced in 2020. However, it's 55-year-old gamer TheRealDuke777's post from just five days ago that has rocketed to the top of its all-time list, and it's easy to see why.

The post introduces readers to McKenzie Erin, his daughter who passed away at 8 years old in 2009. Placed atop side-by-side images comparing her to Pragmata's Diana is a simple title: "Missing My Little Girl."

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"She’s forever eight," TheRealDuke777 said. "This is her in the picture above."

In a separate post, he explained that McKenzie had seizures and atrial tachycardia starting at just 11 months old, which then developed into Super Ventricular Tachycardia (SVT), a condition that causes the heart to beat faster than normal, after she turned 8. One day while playing outside, she passed out and had a seizure, and then was flown to a children's hospital. She was pronounced with no brain activity on her sixth day in the hospital.

"We never get over losing a child or someone THAT close to us," he said. "We just learn to get through it. We get through it every single day over and over again. Some days are easier, especially with time. Some days take me back to that time."

After last playing video games in college three decades ago, he says he fell back in love with gaming in February 2024 thanks to the efforts of his 9-year-old daughter, Ella. What began with Fortnite eventually blossomed into Hogwarts Legacy and the Red Dead Redemption series. They're experiences that he says "helped me get through a lot in life," but Pragmata is one game that he's had in the back of his mind for some time.

"When I watched some videos of PRAGMATA, Ella said, 'Daddy, she reminds me of pictures of McKenzie. I wonder if Diana is like McKenzie?'" TheRealDuke777 added. "So I purchased the whole bundle and we started playing it."

Diana is an android sidekick with hacking abilities who accompanies Earth's Hugh Williams throughout the events of Pragmata. If you couldn't tell from the previously shared pictures, she also happens to look a lot like McKenzie, but TheRealDuke777 said the similarities don't stop there. Now, after playing through what he estimates to be about 30% of the story, he said Pragmata has allowed him to spend more time with Ella, too.

"Diana is very much like both my daughters," he continued. "Maybe I got a little bit teary eyed. Maybe… I absolutely love this game and the time Ella spends with me. PRAGMATA is Therapeutic for my soul."

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Replies to the post have been filled with hundreds of comments from fans sharing their condolences. Some even took to the replies section to share their own memories of loved ones they've lost. Even game director Cho Yong-hee acknowledged and replied to the story after the post made its way to X/Twitter.

Pragmata launches for PC, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S April 17, 2026. We gave it an 8/10 in our review.

Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).

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Battlefield 6 Players Divided After EA Opens the Door to Battle Pass Pre-Orders

Battlefield 6 fans are divided after they noticed that publisher EA and developer Battlefield Studios added an option to pre-order the Season 3 battle pass almost two weeks before its launch.

Confusion began when one player shared a screenshot of their findings on Reddit. The clear-cut image shared shows an in-game "Next Season Preorder" page, offering two pre-purchase options: one for the standard battle pass and one for the Battlefield Pro version.

IGN can confirm the in-game addition, with Battlefield 6 players now able to purchase the Season 3 pass by simply following the button prompt on the bottom-left side of the battle pass screen. The original Reddit post, however, seems to be a bit out of date, as an updated version of the page shows the Battlefield Pro package is available for $25 instead of the previously shown 500 Battlefield Coins. The standard pass can be purchased for 1,100 Coins, or about $9.99.

The option to pre-order battle passes in Battlefield 6 marks a slight change in monetization strategy that allows players to lock in for Season 3 ahead of its expected May 12 release date. Those who commit to either pass early unlock rewards, such as the Verdant L110 Weapon Package for the standard battle pass, or a collection of two weapon packs for the Pro version.

Battlefield 6 players aren't sure what to make of the post-launch battle pass pre-order option, mostly because it's not exactly a common practice in the gaming space. Many have already pointed out that Call of Duty, which has come under fire for aggressive monetization tactics in the past, has strayed from implementing such an option.

However, Apex Legends, which is also published by EA, has previously opened the door to pre-orders for battle passes. The primary point of contention here, though, is that EA and BF Studios have yet to announce what exactly is included in the Season 3 battle pass, while others comment on the fact that the publisher won't have limited stock for a digital content pass.

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"Not even [Call of Duty] does it," one Reddit user said.

"Hey guys!" another on Reddit replied. "Look you'll be able to buy passes for the pass that gets you the battle pass."

While some argue against allowing EA to push for battle passes that can be pre-ordered, others have already committed to Season 3. Battlefield 6 battle passes typically grant premium pass holders enough coins to purchase the following pass, making the option of an early purchase (plus some goodies) easier for a select group of players.

"It's weird but I don't see it as a big issue that you're trying to make it out to be," one player replied.

"I finished [Season 2]," someone else said. "I have 1100 [Battlefield Coins] sitting there. Why wouldn’t I do this lol."

The introduction of Battlefield 6 battle pass pre-orders coincides with the impending launch of Season 3. As detailed in a preview event attended by IGN in April, the next content drop, as well as what has been promised for Seasons 4 and 5, will help determine the future of EA's military FPS franchise.

While we wait to see how Season 3 will play out, you can read about how BF Studios plans to continue tackling community feedback in the near future. You can also check out why some players suspect Season 5 will include a Las Vegas multiplayer map.

Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).

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Man Arrested After Hiding Inside Closed Best Buy Ahead of Pokémon Card Restock

A man in Pasadena, California, has been arrested after he hid inside a closed Best Buy ahead of a Pokémon card drop.

As reported by NBC Los Angeles, 45-year-old Patrick Keys managed to hide inside a Pasedena Best Buy location after it had closed and was seen walking around the store by employees monitoring the camera feed. Employees called the police, and Keys was arrested on suspicion of burglary. Police say there were no signs of a forced entry, suggesting he found somewhere to hide when the store closed for the night.

Fans will often line up outside retailers for hours in hopes of getting cards ahead of new drops and restocks, either to collect or resell for profit. Witnesses who had been lined up outside the Best Buy speculated that Keys may have been hiding inside the store so he could have an advantage in snagging Pokémon cards. From what we can tell, there has not been a new card drop since the Mega Evolution — Ascended Heroes bundles came out April 24, meaning Keys hid out for a restock.

Pokémon cards are extremely lucrative, which sometimes leads to people taking desperate measures to get the jump on them. IGN’s Max Scoville recently put together a feature about the many controversies of Pokémon across its 30-year history, highlighting just how strange and dark the world of Pokémon can be at times.

High-value Pokémon cards have sold for as high as $16 million, proving just how significant the market for these trading cards can be. This has led to frustration among some fans, as they simply want to collect and battle with their cards, but resellers make efforts to buy up stock and make them difficult or expensive to collect.

Cade Onder is a freelancer for IGN's news team. He covers all things entertainment, including gaming, film, and more. You can find him on Twitter @Cade_Onder.

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Subnautica 2 Finally Gets Early Access Release Date

Subnautica 2 finally has a concrete release date for its early access, and it’s very soon.

Subnautica 2 will enter early access on PC and Xbox Series X|S on May 14, 2026, at 8am PT. The game will cost $29.99, making for a very accessible price point in a crowded month for games. The deep-sea game will be released right before the highly anticipated releases of LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight and 007 First Light, but each game targets different audiences.

“We’re excited for players to experience Subnautica 2, beginning May 14!” said Ted Gill, CEO of Unknown Worlds, in a press release about the date reveal. “Our team cannot wait to hear your feedback as the game evolves throughout Early Access.”

Subnautica 2 has had a long and bumpy road to release. The first game was a surprise hit that inspired the team to take a lot of the core ideas and expand upon them for a sequel that also features co-op multiplayer. It has been in the works since 2022 and was targeting a 2025 release date, but it hit a major snag last summer. Unknown Worlds leadership, including CEO Ted Gill, were removed from the studio by parent company Krafton, which stated that leadership was working on other projects, distracting them from getting Subnautica 2 ready for launch.

The Gill and the other let-go leadership employees filed a lawsuit, alleging they were fired and Subnautica 2 was delayed because Krafton didn’t want to pay out a $250 million bonus for hitting key revenue targets in 2025. Ultimately, a judge reinstated Gill and the leadership team at Unknown Worlds in March 2026 and stated that Krafton didn’t have a valid reason for firing them. Shortly thereafter, it was confirmed that Subnautica 2 would launch sometime in May.

Cade Onder is a freelancer for IGN's news team. He covers all things entertainment, including gaming, film, and more. You can find him on Twitter @Cade_Onder.

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FFXIV Director Explains Plans to Sunset PS4 Version, Estimated to Last Through Patch 8.3

As part of a wide-ranging keynote presentation at Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest, Director and Producer Naoki Yoshida announced that the PlayStation 4 version of FFXIV will be phased out in the coming years.

Yoshida emphasized that the next expansion, Evercold (which is due January 2027 along with Patch 8.0), will be fully supported on PS4. It will continue with some of the post-launch content updates as well, with him stating, "We currently believe we'll probably be okay up until about [Patch] 8.3," which would hit sometime in early 2028.

"It's the size of the game that is the hurdle right now."

Yoshida noted that, "While cooperation with Sony's wonderful engineers has allowed us to limit break a few more times than we thought even possible, but it will soon be impossible to physically contain all of FFXIV on the PS4 hard drive."

Considering how expansive the game has become, along with the visual overhaul that came with the Dawntrail expansion and Patch 7.0 in 2024, the almost 13-year-old PS4 has been struggling to keep up. There aren't any changes coming to the system requirements on PC in the near future, but for those still on PS4, Yoshida said, "You got two years to save up for a PlayStation 5!"

In a roundtable interview at FFXIV Fan Fest, Yoshida further explained his comments about the sunsetting of the PS4 version.

"Perhaps it was the way I explained it that may have caused a little bit of [confusion]. While we are going to fully support [Evercold and Patch] 8.0, we did ask for perhaps considering transitioning [to PS5]," Yoshida said. "Some people were mentioning on socials about how we're going to close down the PS4 service and that's why [we're] going to go over to the Switch 2. But that is not the case."

He continued explaining the team's plans, saying that "the reason we are looking to transition from PS4 to PS5, or encouraging players to do so, is because of the hardware limitations of the PS4. It's the size of the game that is the hurdle right now. We are reaching towards the limit of the hardware, considering how large of the capacity and requirements this game has. We are reaching the point where the game is getting so big that the hardware itself will not be able to handle it."

While it is estimated to at least last through Patch 8.3, which is a ways out, Yoshida said, "Not right away, but we want people to slowly consider transitioning to the PS5. Again we're not saying that we are going to cease support for the PS4 – that's another point that we want to emphasize."

It might be tougher than previous years considering that the PS5 has only gone up in price since its launch almost six years ago, and the cost of PC components haven't fared any better. However, maybe it's time we put the aged PS4 to rest, in due time at least.

For more on the critically acclaimed MMORPG, check out my breakdown of the upcoming Switch 2 version of FFXIV, the Neon Genesis Evangelion crossover raid content, and everything you need to know about Evercold.

Michael Higham is an editor at IGN who regularly contributes with reviews, previews, features, and news in written and video form. He's usually entrusted with covering long RPGs and tech products, but he's got range when it comes to games. You'll also catch him at events and hosting video content, including IGN's weekly podcast Unlocked.

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Tony Hawk Once Modded His Friend’s PS1 to Get Early THPS Feedback

Tony Hawk once modded his friend’s PlayStation 1 in order to get feedback on early builds of the original Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. This is according to the Birdman himself, who told the story during a panel at iicon (a new conference for video game industry professionals) about the lasting legacy of the THPS series.

Back in 1998, Hawk was working with Neversoft on early versions of the soon-to-be legendary skateboarding game, which at the time was borne out of a modified version of the failed Bruce Willis-branded game Apocalypse.

“Every week they would burn a CD for me, and I played it on my modified PlayStation 1,” Hawk said. “I would make comments, and then the next week I get a disc in the mail with all the updates.”

“I was really excited about it, but I was also kind of isolated in my excitement because I was the only real skater working on it, and so – I hope I don’t get in trouble for this, 20 plus years later – but I started making copies of the burns and sending them to skaters that I knew were hardcore gamers.”

Hawk said at one point he modified his friend Atiba’s PS1 – presumably referring to skater and photographer Atiba Jefferson, who later appeared in THPS 4 – to be able to play the burned game discs in order to give him feedback.

“He really did have valuable feedback, and he started letting people come over to play the game. I mean, we were going rogue,” Hawk said.

But at one point, Hawk started hearing rumors within the hardcore skate community, with comments like “have you guys played ‘the game?'” starting to circulate.

“That's when I knew we did something right, and that the skateboarders were going to enjoy this," Hawk said. “And to me, that was the mark of success. I had no idea that it would ever transcend just the skateboard world, but the fact that they just referred to it as ‘the game’ gave me a sense of pride.”

"The fact that they just referred to it as ‘the game’ gave me a sense of pride.”

Elsewhere in the panel, Hawk commented that, if they get to make another one, Tony Hawk’s Underground is the next game he’d like to see remastered.

“What’s next, that’s always the conversation. Because we are now making our way through the series as remasters and remakes, and to be honest, the most noise that I hear about remastering the game, is for Underground, and has been for the last few years. I don’t know who I’m pitching this to, but that’s the one, if we get to do it.”

However, the developerment team behind the recent THPS 3+4 remaster, Iron Galaxy, faced another round of layoffs earlier this month which follows a significant round of layoffs from 2025.

For more from iicon, check out our writeup of Take Two CEO Strauss Zelnick’s comments about the much-debated price point of GTA 6.

Bo Moore is IGN's Senior Manager of Tech. You can find him online @usebomswisely.

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