'Oblivion Remastered' Horse Armor DLC Returns as Paid Content

Following the massive success of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion in 2006, Bethesda sought to maintain player engagement in Cyrodiil by introducing small, paid downloadable content (DLC) packs. The studio had no idea that its first DLC release that April—horse armor—would gallop headfirst into a major controversy.

Even those not closely following gaming at the time have likely heard about the horse armor debate. While DLC existed before this, Oblivion's Horse Armor Pack, priced at 200 Microsoft Points (roughly $2.50), sparked significant backlash because the armor offered virtually no gameplay benefit.

Fast forward to 2025, cosmetic upgrades like this are now standard, allowing Bethesda to humorously reference the past with The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered by once again charging extra for horse armor. Announced and released today, the remaster offers both a base and a deluxe edition. For an additional $10, the deluxe version includes new quests for unique armor, extra weapon choices, a digital artbook, a soundtrack app, and yes, horse armor—two sets, to be exact.

Overall, fans appear to be taking this development in stride. Nearly two decades removed from the initial shock of purely cosmetic DLC, players are now accustomed to paying for such upgrades. As Circana analyst Mat Piscatella noted on BlueSky, U.S. consumers spent over $10.4 billion on digital add-ons for PC and console games in 2024. "Horse Armor walked so Battle Passes could run."

In fact, many find it amusing that Bethesda is openly poking fun at what was once a major scandal.

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 already has mods. Shortly after the game's launch, several community mods appeared on Nexus Mods, though most are minor customization tweaks for now.

While awaiting more mods, you can explore why some players consider this release 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 offers, check out our comprehensive guide, featuring an Interactive Map, complete Walkthroughs for the Main Quest and all Guild Quests, tips for Building the Perfect Character, essential First Steps, and much more.