As Oblivion remaster rumors persist, Witcher 4 narrative director calls the OG RPG's infamous horse armor DLC, which kicked off the microtransaction era, an "integral part of gaming history"

As Oblivion remaster leaks continue to surface, with an apparent release date now out in the wild, fans and developers alike are looking back at the history of the Bethesda Game Studios icon – including its controversial horse armor DLC.

Picture this: it's a sunny spring day in April 2006, and you're excited to hop back into Oblivion as it only released a couple of weeks ago or so – but then Bethesda makes a decision that rewrites the video game industry's reputation forever by releasing a set of horse armor as extra paid DLC for 200 Marketplace points, or around $2.50. This infamous DLC's launch is often credited as the start of the microtransaction era, and there's no denying its significance.

As The Witcher 4 narrative director Philipp Weber describes it in a recent post responding to rumors that the DLC is making a comeback in the potential remaster, it's an important piece of gaming's whole overall. "Horse Armor is an integral part of gaming history," writes Weber. "That's why I even added it to my Witcher 2 Mod 11 years ago! Very seriously, just like the beavers." If you're wondering what he's referencing here, he links to a YouTube video.

Uploaded to his channel over a decade ago, the clip is a joke trailer he made for one of his Witcher 2 mods, Lykaon, which still has an available demo via Nexus Mods today. It pokes fun at paid content, unveiling everything from a $5.99 "Hat DLC" to a $7.99 "Beaver DLC" – and of course, a $13.95 "Horse Armor DLC." It's clear players understood the humor, with one commenting to ask, "Does it also come with the demo or do we have to pay extra for that?"

It's impressive to see how far Weber has come himself, going from winning mod contests and making REDkit tutorials for others to acting as a lead on The Witcher 4 – and it's equally as impressive, albeit in a far more disappointing way, that the industry itself has changed so little as microtransactions continue to plague both single-player and multiplayer experiences. Here's to hoping that if a remake of one of Bethesda's best RPGs does happen, it does better.

Here's everything you need to know about The Elder Scrolls 6 while you wait for more Oblivion.