Todd Howard’s Game of the Year Is the Rival That Took on Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered

Todd Howard picking someone else’s RPG as his Game of the Year is not the headline I expected in 2025. But here we are: he’s calling Sandfall Interactive’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 his top pick, even as Bethesda’s own Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered just hit shelves. The timing is spicy.

What Howard actually said

In a new chat with Eurogamer’s Mat Jones that drifted across a bunch of topics — generative AI in games, the idea of an Elder Scrolls TV show, the usual futurist grab bag — Howard didn’t hesitate when asked for his 2025 GOTY. He named Expedition 33, while also tipping his hat to Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 and Death Stranding 2.

"a unique piece of art"

That’s how he described Expedition 33, adding that he couldn’t get enough of it.

Expedition 33’s big swing, and bigger reception

This one comes from a relatively small core team, and it exploded out of the gate. On Steam, it’s sitting at the rarefied Overwhelmingly Positive mark, and it has already shipped over 5 million copies. For a new IP, that’s a rocket launch.

The awkward, fascinating release window

Here’s the part that makes Howard’s pick extra interesting: Expedition 33 landed just two days after Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered. And still, neither title seems to have cannibalized the other — both found their audience. Oblivion Remastered was always going to be a layup anyway; it’s a spruced-up take on one of the franchise’s most beloved entries, and after such a long quiet stretch for the series, Elder Scrolls fans were going to show up for anything substantial.

So what can Elder Scrolls 6 learn from Expedition 33?

Don’t hold your breath for Elder Scrolls 6 — Howard has basically said it’s still years out. Development is underway, and he says Bethesda’s best are on it, which means there’s time to refine. And if you’re looking for a blueprint worth stealing, Howard’s own GOTY pick makes a pretty compelling case:

• Combat with actual snap: Expedition 33 is turn-based, but it still cares about timing. Dodges and parries matter. You need to learn each system and think a couple moves ahead, or the game will happily sweep you into the dirt. Compare that to Skyrim, where too many fights devolve into swing-block-heal-repeat. Elder Scrolls 6 could use a combat rethink that rewards skill and planning, not just stats.
• Conversations and quests with teeth: The dialogue system, the character work, and the quest design in Expedition 33 all feel authored and intentional. There are layers to the mechanics, and they link together in a way that pushes you to engage, not autopilot. Also, yes, the lack of bugs at launch is a lesson all by itself.

The bottom line

Howard anointing Expedition 33 over the very week his own remastered Oblivion is out is a bold endorsement. If nothing else, it’s a nice reminder that great RPG ideas can come from anywhere — and that Elder Scrolls 6 has some clear places to level up.

Do you agree with Howard’s pick, or are you riding for something else this year? Tell me below.