"Oblivion Remastered Reintroduces Paid Horse Armor DLC"

In 2006, Bethesda was basking in the glory of their latest hit, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. To keep the excitement alive, they began rolling out small paid DLCs, not realizing they were about to stir up a storm with their very first release in April: horse armor.

Even if you weren't gaming back then, you've probably heard about the horse armor controversy. DLC existed before, but Oblivion's Horse Armor Pack, priced at 200 Microsoft Points ($2.50 at the time) on the Xbox 360 Marketplace, was a game-changer due to its purely cosmetic nature.

Fast forward to 2025, and cosmetic upgrades are now the norm, allowing Bethesda to playfully reintroduce horse armor with The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered. Alongside today's reveal and surprise launch, we learned about two editions: the base and the deluxe. For an extra $10 over the base game, the deluxe edition offers new quests, unique armors, additional weapons, a digital artbook, a soundtrack app, and—yes—two sets of horse armor.

The fan reaction has been mostly positive. We're nearly two decades removed from when cosmetic DLCs like horse armor were a novelty, and gamers are now accustomed to paying for aesthetic enhancements. As Circana analyst Mat Piscatella noted on BlueSky, U.S. gamers spent over $10.4 billion on digital add-ons for PC and console games in 2024. "Horse Armor walked so Battle Passes could run."

Many find Bethesda's nod to the past amusing, seeing it as a light-hearted jab at what was once a major controversy.

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 also mod-friendly. Just hours after its launch, a few community mods appeared on Nexus Mods, offering minor customization options.

While we await more mods, delve into why some players believe today's release is more of a remake than a remaster and why Bethesda chose the "Remastered" label.

For a deep dive into Oblivion Remastered, check out our comprehensive guide, featuring 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.