Oblivion Remastered Reintroduces Paid Horse Armor DLC

In 2006, Bethesda was riding the wave of success with The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. To keep fans engaged in the world of Cyrodiil, the developer began releasing small, paid DLC packages. However, they stirred up a storm of controversy with the launch of their first DLC in April: the infamous horse armor.

Even if you weren't a gamer back then, you might have heard about the uproar over the horse armor. Although downloadable content (DLC) existed before this, Oblivion's Horse Armor Pack, priced at 200 Microsoft Points on the Xbox 360 Marketplace (about $2.50 at the time), sparked significant debate due to its perceived lack of utility.

Fast forward to 2025, and cosmetic upgrades like these are now the norm, allowing Bethesda to playfully revisit the concept with the release of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered. Along with today's announcement and surprise launch of the remaster, it was revealed that Oblivion Remastered will offer a base edition and a deluxe edition. For an additional $10 on top of the base game price, the deluxe edition includes new quests for unique armors, additional weapon options, a digital artbook and soundtrack app, and, yes, horse armor once again—two sets, to be exact.

Fans seem to be taking this news in stride. We're nearly twenty years removed from the time when such cosmetic DLC was groundbreaking, and gamers have grown accustomed to paying for aesthetic enhancements. As Circana analyst Mat Piscatella noted on BlueSky, U.S. consumers spent over $10.4 billion on PC and console video game digital add-ons in 2024. "Horse Armor walked so Battle Passes could run," he remarked.

Many fans now find it amusing that Bethesda is comfortable enough to poke fun 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 nod to when they singlehandedly changed 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 already boasts a selection of mods. A few community mods surfaced on the popular website Nexus Mods shortly after the game's launch, although these primarily offer minor customization options.

As we await more mods, you can explore why some players believe today's release leans more towards a remake than a remaster and the reasoning behind Bethesda's decision to label it "Remastered."

For a deep dive into what Oblivion Remastered offers, 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.