Oblivion Remastered Reintroduces Paid Horse Armor DLC

In 2006, Bethesda was basking in the glory of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion's success. To keep fans engaged with Cyrodiil, the developer began releasing small, paid DLC packages. Little did they anticipate the stir caused by their first DLC release in April: horse armor.

Even if you weren't gaming back then, you might have heard about the horse armor controversy. While DLC wasn't new, Oblivion's Horse Armor Pack, priced at 200 Microsoft Points on the Xbox 360 Marketplace (around $2.50 at the time), sparked uproar due to its perceived uselessness.

Fast forward to 2025, and cosmetic upgrades like these are now standard fare. This has allowed Bethesda to playfully reintroduce the concept with the release of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered. Alongside today's reveal and immediate release of the remaster, we discovered that it will be available in both a base and a deluxe edition. The deluxe edition, priced at an additional $10 over the base game, includes new quests for unique armors, additional weapon options, a digital artbook, a soundtrack app, and, yes, horse armor—two sets this time.

Fans are largely taking this in stride. Nearly two decades after the initial shock of cosmetic DLC, gamers are accustomed to paying for aesthetic enhancements. As Circana analyst Mat Piscatella noted on BlueSky, U.S. video game consumers spent over $10.4 billion on PC and console digital add-ons in 2024. "Horse Armor walked so Battle Passes could run," he remarked.

Many find Bethesda's playful nod to past controversies amusing.

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 the horse armor; it's already embracing the modding community. Just hours after its launch, a few community mods appeared on the popular site Nexus Mods, offering minor customization options.

As we anticipate more mods, delve into why some players consider today's release more of a remake than a remaster, and learn why Bethesda chose the "Remastered" label.

We've compiled a comprehensive guide covering everything in Oblivion Remastered, from an expansive Interactive Map and complete Walkthroughs for the Main Questline and every Guild Quest, to tips on How to Build the Perfect Character and Things to Do First.