"Oblivion Remastered Reintroduces Paid Horse Armor DLC"

In 2006, Bethesda was basking in the glory of their latest release, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. To keep the excitement alive in Cyrodiil, they began rolling out small paid DLC packages. However, their first venture into this territory in April that year, the Horse Armor Pack, unexpectedly stirred up a storm of controversy. Priced at 200 Microsoft Points on the Xbox 360 Marketplace, roughly equivalent to $2.50, the pack offered armor for horses that provided no functional benefits, sparking debates about the value of cosmetic DLCs.

Fast forward to 2025, and the landscape of gaming has evolved dramatically. Cosmetic upgrades like horse armor are now a norm, and Bethesda has cheekily embraced this trend with the release of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered. Alongside today's announcement and shadow-drop of the remaster, we learned that players can choose between a base edition and a deluxe edition. The latter, which costs an additional $10, includes new quests, unique armors, additional weapon options, a digital artbook, a soundtrack app, and, humorously, two sets of horse armor.

Fan reactions have been largely positive, with many finding Bethesda's nod to the original horse armor controversy amusing. Nearly two decades have passed since cosmetic DLCs were a novel and controversial concept, and today's gamers are accustomed to spending on aesthetic enhancements. As noted by Circana analyst Mat Piscatella on BlueSky, U.S. consumers spent over $10.4 billion on digital add-ons for PC and console games in 2024 alone. Piscatella quipped, "Horse Armor walked so Battle Passes could run."

Social media platforms have been buzzing with reactions to Bethesda's playful move. Many A True Nerd (@ManyATrueNerd) tweeted, "PAID HORSE ARMOR DLC. OBLIVION IS TRULY BACK." UGS | Ajay (@AJ34_SSB) showed respect for the move, saying, "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." Olive_Meister (@Olive_Meisterr) added humorously, "£10 for Horse Armor in #OblivionRemastered ??? There's no way that's gonna catch on."

Oblivion Remastered has not only brought back horse armor but also introduced mods. Just hours after its launch, several community mods were available on popular site Nexus Mods, though these primarily enhance customization options.

As the modding community continues to expand the game's possibilities, you can delve into why some players believe this release is more of a remake than a remaster and the reasoning behind Bethesda's choice of the "Remastered" label.

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