According to leaks, the long-rumored remaster of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion will include the original release’s infamous horse armor cosmetic, or at least a new version of it. Possible Oblivion remaster images leaked alongside yet more rumors of its imminent shadow drop, though nothing has been officially confirmed at this time.

In the leaked images compiled on Imgur, two of them appear to reveal a Deluxe Edition planned for the release of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblvion Remastered. The image previewing the contents of the Deluxe Edition appears to show a horse outfitted with armor, though it’s difficult to see any details given the image’s low resolution. The original Oblivion‘s horse armor microtransaction caused a major controversy, and is often considered a watershed moment for the industry’s turn toward such monetization practices.

Click here to view the leaked Oblivion Remastered images.

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered Deluxe Edition Appears To Include Horse Armor Cosmetic

Horse Armor Caused A Stir In 2006

Cosmetic-only microtransactions are commonplace nowadays, mainly in live-service multiplayer games, but such monetization is still contentious in single-player games. Oblivion‘s horse armor DLC controversy is arguably the progenitor of the long-standing quibble between players and such microtransactions in single-player games. Players were upset that armor for your in-game horse was an extra purchase, $2.50 at the time, especially since there was no statistical benefit to equipping it, nor any chance that you could show it off online.

A new set of horse armor now appears to be repeating history with The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered, though such bonuses are now very common in special editions. Oblivion Remastered Deluxe Edition, according to the leaked images, will apparently include horse armor alongside a couple of other cosmetics – potentially armor and weapon variants, though it’s difficult to say for sure given the poor image quality.

Our Take: Horse Armor Is Still Odd, But Fine As A Deluxe Edition Bonus

It Would Be Better As An Added Feature

It’s easily understandable why the original horse armor received such backlash; when you buy a single-player game, you should get all the content available. Unfortunately, publishers seem to know that cosmetics can be a big draw, even in single-player titles, and the practice of including bonus cosmetics in special editions has become very popular. It’s best that it stays cosmetic only, though, because the alternative – exclusive items with tangible benefits in-game – is more problematic if said bonuses aren’t earnable by playing.

Oblivion Remastered is already rumored to have changes from the original game, and if the game’s supposed developer, Virtuos, wanted to include horse armor as a nod to the infamous saga, it would be best as a new base-game feature. Hopefully this turns out to be the case, because as it currently stands, the game has still yet to be officially revealed. If these leaked images turn out to be true, the best-case scenario is that The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion remaster inclues horse armor in all editions, with a special version for Deluxe Edition purchasers.