Discover how one modder is pushing Oblivion Remastered beyond its nostalgic roots turning it into a modding playground of new spells, settlements, and scripting magic.
The Unreal Opportunity: Why Oblivion Remastered Feels Different
When Bethesda re-released Oblivion as Oblivion Remastered, fans were excited to revisit Cyrodiil with modern visuals. But for modders like MadAborModding, it wasn’t just the facelift. It was the engine under the hood that changed everything.
Unlike older Bethesda titles, which rely on the Creation Engine, Oblivion Remastered runs largely on Unreal Engine. That one change has made a world of difference for what’s possible behind the scenes.
“I saw an opportunity to approach modding from an entirely new angle,” says MadAborModding.
Lua Scripting Unlocks the Game’s Inner Potential
In early June, the Oblivion modding community discovered something game-changing: they figured out how to use UE4SS Lua scripts to trigger in-game functions—something that wasn’t possible in the original game or Skyrim.
This meant modders could now:
- Trigger events based on quests, spells, or dialogue
- Create more dynamic, real-time systems
- Go beyond the limits of traditional scripting tools
MadAborModding used this breakthrough to power two major mods:
- A Fallout 4-style settlement system in Cyrodiil
- A spell pack that lets players transform into liches or summon Oblivion gates
“The complexity of mods we can make just shot up big time,” he explained.
Settlement Building Comes to Cyrodiil
The idea for a building system came from another modder named Dicene, who uncovered a native Unreal function allowing object placement. While others hesitated, MadAborModding jumped on it and built a working prototype in under an hour.
“The engine already had the spawning and placement functions—it was just a matter of exposing them to the player.”
Since then, he’s teamed up with modder Uregven, who’s added categorized menus and UI improvements to make the system much more user-friendly.
Right now, they’re working toward a full-fledged system modeled after Fallout 4’s workshop mode. The base features—like placing and moving objects—are already in place. The rest is polishing and refining.
Why Lua and Unreal Make Modding Easier (and Faster)
One of the biggest surprises is how easy it is to work with Unreal functions via Lua scripting.
“Things that used to take years to figure out in traditional modding can now be done in hours,” says MadAborModding.
Despite this, many modders haven’t made the switch yet. The community has been slow to move away from traditional modding methods, often waiting for official tools that might never arrive.
What’s Still Missing: Lip Sync and Navmesh
While Unreal and Lua have opened major doors, there are still limitations:
- Lip sync generation hasn’t been cracked yet
- Navmeshing (how NPCs navigate terrain) is still a mystery
Until those are figured out, fully voiced quest mods and new land expansions are on hold.
“Until we have a way to do those, true quest/new land mods just aren’t possible.”
The Lack of Official Tools—and Why It Might Not Matter
Some fans are still holding out hope for official modding tools from Bethesda. But MadAborModding is content with what Unreal already provides.
“Unreal is incredibly powerful. In many cases, the tools we have today are more flexible than anything Bethesda has ever officially released.”
He even argues that current modding in Oblivion Remastered already exceeds what Skyrim modders could do for most of that game’s life.
Toward a Modding Renaissance
MadAborModding believes we’re at the start of a modding renaissance for Oblivion Remastered.
He points to unreleased projects like:
- Assassin’s Creed-style climbing and attack animations by modder Kemper
- Complex combat systems, spell mechanics, and animations that used to take years to create in the old engine
With Unreal, these systems are now straightforward to build—if modders are willing to explore new ground.
“There’s a whole frontier here that’s barely been explored.”
Final Thoughts: The Future of Modding Is Wide Open
Oblivion Remastered isn’t just a nostalgia trip—it’s becoming a platform for bold, modern modding thanks to Lua scripting and the flexibility of Unreal Engine.
With modders like MadAborModding showing what’s possible, it’s only a matter of time before the community embraces this new wave of tools and techniques.
If you’re a modder, a fan of Elder Scrolls, or just someone curious about what’s next, you may want to keep a close eye on the horizon.
The future of modding isn’t coming. It’s already here.
