Bethesda’s next shadow drop remaster reportedly coming next month

Bethesda is reportedly working on a remaster of an underrated shooter from 2009, and will apparently shadow drop it next month.

Last year, Bethesda dropped two classic game remasters between the spring and summer: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered in April, and Heretic + Hexen in August.

They were announced without much warning, and released pretty much around the same time they were revealed. Hence why we call them “shadow drops”.

Now, it looks like the publisher is reeling for a third success with this tactic, with rumours pointing to another remaster of a classic FPS being revealed at QuakeCon next month.

According to X user Anonimo, the 2009 reboot of Wolfenstein may be set for a surprise remaster dropping at QuakeCon in August.

Their evidence suggests it will be this game due to the fact that Wolfenstein’s SteamDB data has been changed recently, removing the release date on the storefront as well as listing it as Steam Deck Verified.

This does indeed hint at a greater plan for the series while we wait for Wolfenstein 3, which is reportedly in development at MachineGames following completion of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.

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Wolfenstein (2009) is a classic relic of the PS3 era

While modern Wolfenstein fans will probably be most familiar with the newer games that began with 2014’s Wolfenstein: The New Order, the 2009 game is an underrated entry which deserved more love.

The game was delisted from Steam in 2014 just weeks before the release of The New Order. In addition to PC, the game was also available on PS3 and Xbox 360 at the time.

While the two games were loosely connected, The New Order decided to reset a lot of the Wolfenstein lore, which is why Bethesda may have decided to delist the 2009 game to avoid confusion.

If it’s not Wolfenstein getting the remaster treatment, other games that could potentially be announced include Heretic 2, Quake 4, or Return to Castle Wolfenstein.

QuakeCon 2026 will take place between August 6–9, so if the rumour is true it won’t be long until we know for sure.

This year’s QuakeCon marks the 30th anniversary of the annual convention, which exists as a celebration of id Software and other studios owned by ZeniMax Media. However, despite the important milestone this has crossed, this year’s convention is a lot more bittersweet.

Earlier this month, ZeniMax owner Xbox announced cuts to various departments and studios across its entire portfolio, including those underneath ZeniMax Media. In total, 3,200 workers were laid off.

Some of the worst cuts came to ZeniMax Online Studios, Bethesda Game Studios, and id Software, with the latter reportedly losing around 50% of its workforce during the same week as Doom: The Dark Ages’ Revelations DLC was launched.