Skyblivion's 2025 release goal is "pointless and unachievable" claims longtime dev, accuses two leads of rushing the mod out

A long-standing member of unofficial Oblivion remake Skyblivion's development team has claimed the project is being "rushed out the door", and that its previously stated 2025 release goal is "pointless and unachievable".

These claims were made by modder Dee Keyes in a Twitter post put up over the same weekend that the Skyrim mod showed off its opening fifteen minutes as part of Elder Scrolls modding showcase Creation Mod Con. Keyes is currently listed as a world designer on the team page of Skyblivion's website, having previously served as level design department lead, and has appeared in the likes of this dev diary posted to project lead Kyle 'Rebelzize' Rebel's YouTube channel in 2021.

"Within the last 2-3 years the Skyblivion project has become less a passion project and more of a crunch project," Keyes wrote. "Where we used to explore options and put our heart and soul into an aspect of development, we're now being told left, right, and center that it doesn't need to be anything special or the usual 'no one is gonna notice this' excuse for rushing and laziness. It became harder and harder to talk to [project lead] Rebel about problems the project has or how little the developers are being told about lead decisions."

Keyes goes on to argue that announcing a 2025 release goal for the mod back in 2023 was a "massive mistake", claiming that it was driven by YouTuber and Skyblivion implementation lead Heavy Burns not wanting "to make another trailer unless it was a release[sic] date trailer". They go on to allege that Heavy Burns has taken on a much more prominent development role at Rebel's request, having been originally brought in to make trailers and dev diary videos, to the point they argue it "now feels like to all the devs that he's the one in charge". Keyes accuses Heavy Burns of dismissing their input, as well as gaslighting them and accusing them of being difficult to work with.

I'm sorry that I have to do this but its for the good of a project I care dearly about. #Skyblivion pic.twitter.com/GWw31lodCd

"In the last few months it has been impossible for me or [other] developers to convince Rebelzize that this release date is not possible," Keyes continued. "After a last ditch effort to ask one of the lead devs who was also stressed by the project's mismanagement to voice the concerns, only for them to be ignored and forced to leave too, I felt like my time at Skyblivion had come to an end." They conclude by again accusing Rebel and Heavy Burns of working with the goal of the team's efforts being "rushed out of the door" to meet a "pointless and unachievable release date".

"We weren't asking for extra time to add extra features," Keyes added in a reply to their initial post. "Just the time to complete the MVP [minimum viable product] but instead it seemed like the MVP became more and more minimum by the day in order to make December."

I've contacted Keyes, Rebel, Heavy Burns, and the Skyblivion team for comment.

A couple of Skyblivion devs have already responded to Keyes' post being shared to the mod's Discord server and Reddit page. "We've made it clear our goal is to release this year; that being said, there is still work we need to finish," wrote Skyblivion communications specialist Evan T. Flatt on the latter platform. "Ultimately, Skyblivion will be released when the team is confident with it—our goal has been to have it ready for release this year.

"Now, what is 'ready'? That is an ongoing conversation we have been having because the nature of a fan-made passion project is that there has to eventually be a cut-off of adding cool new things. Right now, we all agree Skyblivion isn't ready (otherwise we would release it today). Our aim is that it will be by the end of the year, if we as a team decide that it isn't we will be sure to share that."

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"Discussions will be had about the points brought up," Skyblivion navmesh developer Novarleeir added on Discord. "For right now, the goal stands at 2025. At the end of the day, we'd like to provide a fun and entertaining experience for existing and incoming fans of Oblivion/Elder Scrolls."

In light of Keyes' post, an number of Skyblivion fans have posted in both places that they'd have no issue with the modders delaying Skyblivion out of this year and taking extra time, if that's judged by the team to be necessary. Given how important a trouble-free launch will likely be for Skyblivion, following the bug issues fellow massive mod Fallout: London had on release last year, I'm very much inclined to agree.

Prior to Skyblivion's Creation Mod Con cameo this weekend just gone, project lead Rebel told RPS regarding the mod's release: "I'd say recent developments made us come closer to a potential date announcement, but we will be able to share more about that at a later date."