Oblivion Remastered Revives Controversial Horse Armor DLC

In 2006, Bethesda basked in the success of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. To keep players engaged in Cyrodiil, the studio rolled out small paid DLC packs. Unbeknownst to them, their first DLC release in April—horse armor—sparked a firestorm of controversy.

Even if you weren’t gaming back then, the horse armor controversy likely rings a bell. While DLC wasn’t new, Oblivion’s Horse Armor Pack, priced at 200 Microsoft Points on the 360 Marketplace (roughly $2.50), stirred outrage due to its negligible in-game impact.

In 2025, cosmetic upgrades are now standard, allowing Bethesda to playfully reintroduce horse armor in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered. Unveiled today with a surprise launch, the remaster offers a base edition and a deluxe edition. For an additional $10, deluxe edition buyers receive new quests for unique armors, extra weapons, a digital artbook, a soundtrack app, and, notably, two sets of horse armor.

Fans are largely unfazed by this move. Nearly two decades after cosmetic DLC shocked the gaming world, players now routinely spend on aesthetic upgrades. Circana analyst Mat Piscatella noted on BlueSky that U.S. gamers spent over $10.4 billion on digital add-ons for PC and console games in 2024. “Horse armor paved the way for today’s battle passes,” he quipped.

Most fans now find Bethesda’s nod to the once-infamous scandal amusing.

PAID HORSE ARMOR DLC. OBLIVION IS TRULY BACK. pic.twitter.com/1DJFIPzHB0

— Many A True Nerd (@ManyATrueNerd) April 22, 2025

Honestly, I respect it. New players won’t get the reference, but re-releasing horse armor as paid DLC is a sly nod to when it first shook the industry. Well played, Todd. https://t.co/BGwBwL3VYX

— UGS | Ajay (@AJ34_SSB) April 22, 2025

£10 for Horse Armor in #OblivionRemastered? That trend’s never catching on. pic.twitter.com/E1jqpPZFYr

— Olive_Meister (@Olive_Meisterr) April 22, 2025

Oblivion Remastered isn’t just about horse armor—it already boasts mods. Within hours of launch, several community mods appeared on Nexus Mods, mostly offering minor customization tweaks.

While awaiting more mods, explore why some players argue today’s release feels more like a remake than a remaster and why Bethesda chose the “Remastered” label.

Dive into our detailed guide covering everything in Oblivion Remastered, including an interactive map, full walkthroughs for the main questline and guild quests, tips for crafting the ideal character, must-do activities, and more.