Oblivion Remastered Reintroduces Paid Horse Armor DLC

In 2006, Bethesda was basking in the glow of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion's success. To keep fans engaged with the world of Cyrodiil, they began releasing small paid DLC packages. The first of these, released in April, was the infamous Horse Armor DLC, which unexpectedly sparked controversy. Priced at 200 Microsoft Points (around $2.50 at the time) on the Xbox 360 Marketplace, it was criticized for being essentially cosmetic and offering no real gameplay advantage.

Fast forward to 2025, and the landscape of gaming has shifted dramatically. Cosmetic upgrades like horse armor are now commonplace. Bethesda, in a playful nod to its past, has released The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, reintroducing the controversial horse armor. Alongside the base edition, a deluxe edition is available for an additional $10, offering new quests, unique armors, additional weapon options, a digital artbook, and a soundtrack app, along with two sets of horse armor.

Today's gaming community seems to take this in stride. The era where cosmetic DLC was shocking is nearly two decades behind us, and players are accustomed to paying for aesthetic enhancements. According to Circana analyst Mat Piscatella on BlueSky, U.S. gamers spent over $10.4 billion on digital add-ons for PC and console games in 2024. As Piscatella quipped, "Horse Armor walked so Battle Passes could run."

Many fans find Bethesda's decision to bring back horse armor amusing, seeing it as a lighthearted jab at past controversies. Social media reactions have been a mix of nostalgia and humor, with users like Many A True Nerd and UGS | Ajay commenting on the significance of this move:

PAID HORSE ARMOR DLC. OBLIVION IS TRULY BACK. pic.twitter.com/1DJFIPzHB0

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

£10 for Horse Armor in #OblivionRemastered ??? There's no way that's gonna catch on pic.twitter.com/E1jqpPZFYr

Oblivion Remastered is not just about horse armor; it also includes community-created mods. Within hours of the game's launch, several mods were uploaded to Nexus Mods, enhancing customization options for players.

As the modding community gears up to add more content, you can delve into why some players think today’s release is more of a remake than a remaster and understand Bethesda's choice of the "Remastered" label.

For a complete experience, check out our comprehensive guide to Oblivion Remastered, which includes an interactive map, full walkthroughs for the main questline and guild quests, tips on building the perfect character, and things to do first in the game.