It’s the driving power behind a lot of your favourite video video games launched in the previous couple of years, but it largely flies beneath the radar. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, Cyberpunk 2077, and Metallic Gear Stable Delta: Snake Eater are just some of the various video games that had been and proceed to be supported by Virtuos, one of many largest unbiased online game firms on the earth with over 20 studios globally using about 4,000 employees. Nonetheless, the common gamer in all probability doesn’t know Virtuos exists.
That’s beginning to change although, with Virtuos’ profile rising with every new launch. Oblivion Remastered is probably Virtuos’ largest challenge but, and its heavy involvement with its improvement was made a key a part of the sport’s announcement by Bethesda. In the meantime, CD Projekt livestreams characteristic members of the Virtuos improvement crew. Wanting forward, Ken Levine’s BioShock follow-up, Judas, and Riot’s League of Legends combating sport 2XKO, will each come out with Virtuos’ assist.
Nevertheless it has not all been plain crusing. Final month, Virtuos laid off roughly 7% of its world workforce, or round 270 employees. In a press release, Virtuos stated it was “evolving to satisfy the altering wants” of its companions and the broader video video games business. A lot of the layoffs affected Virtuos’ Asian workforce.
In a wide-ranging interview with IGN at gamescom 2025, Virtuos CEO Gilles Langourieux mentioned the corporate’s historical past, its latest initiatives, and what it’s hoping to attain sooner or later. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, which has gone a protracted solution to placing Virtuos on the map this 12 months, was a giant a part of our chat.
Langourieux stated Virtuos’ experience when it got here to remasters (Batman, Remaining Fantasy, Darkish Souls Remastered) meant it was a pure a part of the dialog round Oblivion’s return.
“We managed to persuade Todd Howard and his crew that we may do it,” Langourieux started. “He had recognized us for some time. After which how does it work? You show what you are able to throughout a pilot part. You ship a convincing vertical slice or pilot. You align with the crew at Bethesda on what they consider is the extent of high quality or element required to satisfy their viewers purpose, and also you proceed all the way in which to closing ship.”
Virtuos developed Oblivion Remastered utilizing Unreal Engine 5. It runs at 4K decision and 60 frames per second, as you’d anticipate, but different modifications are extra significant. The whole lot from the leveling programs to character creation, and fight animations to in-game menus have been improved. In the meantime, there’s a lot of new dialogue, a correct third-person view, and new lip sync expertise. The modifications went down effectively with followers, a few of whom consider Oblivion Remastered could be extra precisely described as a remake. Bethesda, nonetheless, has defined why it went down the remaster route.
Langourieux stated Virtuos knew it had to make use of a brand new engine for Oblivion Remastered to carry the basic RPG updated when it comes to graphics and efficiency, but additionally retain the unique engine so veteran followers would acknowledge Oblivion’s gameplay. As Todd Howard himself described it, Bethesda was eager for the Oblivion remaster to have a few of that “outdated attraction.”
“We realized that one of many options must be to mix the unique engine with a brand new engine. Virtuos occurs to have a protracted expertise working with Unreal,” Langourieux stated. “We have accomplished a lot of initiatives like this the place we mix — it is known as engine pairing — we pair two engines to work collectively in order that the gameplay comes from the unique engine, but the rendering and the brand new fashionable bells and whistles come from the brand new engine. And our expertise doing that, our expertise with Unreal, was one of many issues we needed to carry to the desk.”
In the meantime, a whole lot of artists had been mobilized to work on Oblivion Remastered to “nail” the Oblivion artwork model whereas additionally modernizing it. Virtuos had its studio in Paris lead the challenge, making technical, design, and creative selections concerning the sport, with the assistance of different Virtuos studios. At Bethesda, a small crew beneath the direct supervision of Todd Howard monitored Virtuos’ work.
At peak, round 400 individuals at Virtuos labored on Oblivion Remastered. This was a real AAA improvement effort unfold out throughout a lot of years. The finish consequence was a profitable launch, a online game performed by over 9 million individuals at this level, and a (largely) impressed fanbase. Virtuos itself was made part of Bethesda’s official Oblivion Remastered announcement video, which Langourieux appreciated.
“Typically whenever you deal with these sorts of initiatives, you are worried about speaking a few new developer since you’re fearful that new developer title won’t resonate so effectively with the viewers,” he stated.
“They put their cash the place their mouth is by supporting us very transparently and brazenly, and that has given us extra visibility than different initiatives have. So credit score to them for that.”
Cyberpunk 2077, Oblivion Remastered, Metallic Gear Stable Delta: Snake Eater… what’s subsequent? With all kinds of rumors swirling round about extra Bethesda remasters, may Virtuos be serving to out with, say, a Fallout remaster of some description? After all, Langourieux received’t title names, but did speak usually about what Virtuos has up its sleeve, and teased “related” titles to Oblivion Remastered coming from the corporate within the years forward.
“I will not be capable of share specifics,” he started, “but what I can say is that you’ve got seen what we’re able to for a giant, impactful remaster like Oblivion. You can anticipate extra related titles to return out of Virtuos within the coming years. And you can even anticipate to see us concerned in increasing the lifetime of large-life titles. These could be two instructions that I am tremendous enthusiastic about.”
But will Virtuos get away of its help act standing and make an authentic IP of its personal? Langourieux appears proud of the place his firm is at proper now, insisting “not everybody aspires to be the rockstar.”
“We’ve a number of ambition,” Langourieux stated. “We have constructed one of many largest, most secure sport builders within the enterprise, and we intend to proceed doing that. We have accomplished it by being very clear about what we’re good at and the way we are able to serve our shoppers within the business. And there is a number of ambition with that. Not all the things is about being the rockstar. Not everybody aspires to be the rockstar. We’re enjoying a unique position.”
Wesley is Director, Information at IGN. Discover him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can attain Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.