In 2006, Bethesda was riding the wave of success from The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. To keep fans engaged in the world of Cyrodiil, the developer began releasing small, paid DLC packages for the game. However, they unwittingly stirred up a storm with their first DLC release in April: horse armor.
Even if you weren't deeply involved in the gaming community at the time, you've probably heard about the horse armor controversy. While DLC was not new, the Oblivion Horse Armor Pack, priced at 200 Microsoft Points on the Xbox 360 Marketplace (roughly $2.50), caused a major uproar due to its perceived lack of utility.
Fast forward to 2025, and cosmetic upgrades like these are no longer a novelty, which has given Bethesda the confidence to playfully reintroduce horse armor with the launch of *The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered*. As part of today's reveal and shadow-drop of the remaster, we've learned that *Oblivion Remastered* will be available in both a base and a deluxe edition. For an additional $10 over the base game's price, the deluxe edition offers new quests for unique armors, additional weapon options, a digital artbook, a soundtrack app, and, yes, horse armor once again—two sets, to be exact.Fan reactions have been largely positive, reflecting a shift in attitudes over nearly two decades since cosmetic DLC first caused a stir. As Circana analyst Mat Piscatella noted on BlueSky, U.S. video game 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 see Bethesda's move as a humorous nod to past controversies:
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 bringing back horse armor; it's also embracing the modding community. Just hours after the remaster's launch, a selection of community mods appeared on the popular site Nexus Mods, offering small customization options.
While we await more mods, you can dive into why some players believe today’s release leans more towards a remake than a remaster, and explore why Bethesda chose to label it as "Remastered" despite these upgrades.
For a complete overview of Oblivion Remastered, check out our comprehensive guide. It includes an expansive Interactive Map, full Walkthroughs for the Main Questline and every Guild Quest, tips on How to Build the Perfect Character, Things to Do First, and much more.
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