"Oblivion Remastered Reintroduces Paid Horse Armor DLC"

In 2006, Bethesda was basking in the glory of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion's success. To keep fans engaged with the world of Cyrodiil, the developer began rolling out small paid DLC packages. However, they sparked a major controversy with the release of their first DLC that April: the infamous horse armor. Even if you weren't into gaming back then, you might have heard of this incident. Although downloadable content (DLC) predated horse armor, Oblivion's Horse Armor Pack, priced at 200 Microsoft Points ($2.50 at the time) on the 360 Marketplace, stirred significant controversy due to its perceived lack of utility.

Fast forward to 2025, and cosmetic upgrades like the horse armor have become standard fare in gaming. This shift allowed Bethesda to playfully revisit this iconic controversy with the release of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered. Alongside today's reveal and shadow-drop of the remaster, we discovered that Oblivion Remastered offers a base edition and a deluxe edition. For an additional $10 on top of the base game's price, buyers of the deluxe edition receive new quests for unique armors, additional weapon options, a digital artbook, a soundtrack app, and—yes—horse armor once more. Specifically, two sets of it.

Generally, fans have embraced this nostalgic nod with humor. We're now nearly two decades past the time when cosmetic DLC such as horse armor was a surprising addition, and players have grown accustomed to spending money on these aesthetic enhancements. As noted by Circana analyst Mat Piscatella on BlueSky, U.S. consumers spent over $10.4 billion on PC and console video game digital add-ons in 2024. He quipped, "Horse Armor walked so Battle Passes could run."

The internet has responded with a mix of amusement and respect for Bethesda's willingness to poke fun at what was once a major scandal:

PAID HORSE ARMOR DLC. OBLIVION IS TRULY BACK. pic.twitter.com/1DJFIPzHB0 — Many A True Nerd (@ManyATrueNerd) April 22, 2025

Honestly I have to respect it. New players won't know this, but releasing the horse armor as paid DLC again is a subtle reference to when they singlehandedly ruined the industry by selling it the first time around. I kneel, Todd. https://t.co/BGwBwL3VYX — UGS | Ajay (@AJ34_SSB) April 22, 2025

£10 for Horse Armor in #OblivionRemastered ??? There's no way that's gonna catch on pic.twitter.com/E1jqpPZFYr — Olive_Meister (@Olive_Meisterr) April 22, 2025

Oblivion Remastered isn't just about horse armor; it's already seeing community engagement through mods. Just hours after its launch, a few mods appeared on the popular site Nexus Mods, mostly focusing on minor customization options.

As we await more mods, delve into why some players believe today's release leans more towards a remake than a remaster and understand Bethesda's choice to label it as "Remastered."

For a deep dive into Oblivion Remastered, check out our comprehensive guide, which includes an expansive Interactive Map, complete Walkthroughs for the Main Questline and all Guild Quests, tips on How to Build the Perfect Character, Things to Do First, and much more.