The surprise release of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered on April 22 sent shockwaves through the gaming community. However, for indie developers who had planned to launch their games on the same day, the impact was far from celebratory. Jonas Antonsson, co-founder of indie publisher Raw Fury, took to social media to articulate the challenges faced by smaller studios when "massive" shadow-drops from major titles like Oblivion Remastered occur.

"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. Yet, he highlighted a significant issue from the perspective of indie developers and publishers: "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, a puzzle horror game developed by Red Soul Games and published by Raw Fury on April 22. Inspired by PS2 era classics, Post Trauma requires players to navigate environments, confront threats, and encounter other lost characters within the eerie depths of the Gloom. Antonsson expressed his admiration for the game but also his concern for the team and developer: "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 sarcastic tweet on April 22 encapsulated 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 has been a resounding success. The game has seen a strong start on Steam, dominating online conversations as players revel in the return of iconic character faces, nostalgic bugs, and beloved memes.

Even other games that Microsoft has heavily marketed are feeling the impact of Oblivion Remastered. This week, Kepler Interactive, the publisher of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, acknowledged the 'Barbenheimer' energy of launching the same week as Oblivion Remastered. Both titles debuted directly into Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

For Raw Fury, setting the release date for Post Trauma without knowing about Oblivion Remastered's shadow-drop might just be chalked up to unfortunate timing. It's an example of how the gaming industry can sometimes be unpredictable and challenging for smaller studios.

For those diving into Oblivion Remastered, we offer a comprehensive guide that covers everything from an expansive Interactive Map, complete Walkthroughs for the Main Questline and every Guild Quest, tips on How to Build the Perfect Character, Things to Do First, every PC Cheat Code, and much more.