In 2006, Bethesda was basking in the glow of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion's success. To keep the excitement alive in Cyrodiil, the developer began rolling out small paid DLC packages. However, they inadvertently stirred up a storm with their first release in April: horse armor.
Even if you weren't a gamer back then, you might have heard about the horse armor controversy. While DLC was not new, Oblivion's Horse Armor Pack, priced at 200 Microsoft Points on the 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 horse armor are now the norm. This shift has allowed Bethesda to playfully reintroduce horse armor with the launch of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered. Alongside today's reveal and immediate release of the remaster, we discovered that it comes in both a base and a deluxe edition. For an additional $10 over the base game, the deluxe edition offers new quests for unique armors, additional weapon options, a digital artbook, a soundtrack app, and, yes, horse armor—two sets, to be exact.Fans have largely embraced this move with humor. We're nearly two decades past the era when cosmetic DLC like horse armor was groundbreaking, and gamers are now accustomed to paying for such 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."
Many find it amusing that Bethesda is now playfully referencing 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 the popular site Nexus Mods, though these are mostly minor customization options.
While we await more mods, you can explore why some players believe today's release is more of a remake than a remaster and why Bethesda chose to label it as "Remastered."
We've compiled a comprehensive guide to everything in Oblivion Remastered, including 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.
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