"Indie Publisher Struggles After Oblivion Remastered Overshadows Their Release"

The unexpected shadow-drop release of *The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered* on April 22 sent shockwaves across the gaming community. While fans rejoiced, indie developers who had scheduled their game launches for the same day found themselves in a challenging spot. Jonas Antonsson, co-founder of indie publisher Raw Fury, took to social media to voice his concerns about how these "massive" shadow-drops from big titles like *Oblivion Remastered* can overshadow other releases, leaving them "buried."

Antonsson expressed his personal excitement for *Oblivion*, a game he loved in his youth and still cherishes, noting its revival and introduction to a new generation of players. However, he pointed out the harsh reality for 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."

He specifically highlighted the impact on *Post Trauma*, a puzzle horror game developed by Red Soul Games and published by Raw Fury on the same day. Inspired by PS2 era classics, *Post Trauma* immerses players in navigating environments, tackling threats, and encountering other lost characters in the depths of the Gloom. Antonsson shared his empathy for the team and the developer who dedicated years to the project: "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 captured the sentiment with a touch of sarcasm: "Thank god Post Trauma was the only notable release of today and nothing else happened!"

From Bethesda and parent company Microsoft's perspective, the shadow-drop of *Oblivion Remastered* has been a resounding success. The game saw a strong start on Steam and has dominated online discussions, with players reveling in the return of beloved character faces, classic bugs, and memes. Even other games heavily marketed by Microsoft, like *Clair Obscur: Expedition 33* from Kepler Interactive, have felt the impact of *Oblivion Remastered's* release, both launching into Xbox Game Pass Ultimate amidst what was dubbed 'Barbenheimer' energy.

Raw Fury couldn't have anticipated *Oblivion Remastered's* shadow-drop when setting the release date for *Post Trauma*, and the situation may simply be chalked up to unfortunate timing.

For those eager to dive into *Oblivion Remastered*, we have a comprehensive guide covering 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.