The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition (2009)

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition (2009)

64 ratings
Activating the "Deluxe Edition" DLCs without deleting the game from your library and having to blow another 20 bucks
By OtioseFanatic
This short guide will walk you through activating the "Deluxe Edition" DLCs without deleting the game from your library and having to blow another 20 bucks, no downloads required.
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How to do it

Despite common claims to the otherwise, this game (the regular, non-Deluxe GOTY Edition) comes with the Deluxe Edition DLC. Both the community and Steam support will say it doesn't and try to get you to buy the Deluxe edition instead with no hope for a refund (Its $20 and you have to DELETE THIS VERSION OF THE GAME from your steam library completely before you are allowed to buy it). You do not have to. To activate the 9 Deluxe DLCs, all you need to do is this.

When you first start the launcher for the first time, after setting the graphics settings, click on Data Files. In there you will see a list of the installed DLCs. If you start the game now, none of them will work (This is why it is often assumed that the regular Game of the Year edition didn't come with the DLCs) but also in that list at the very bottom will be an entry labeled Oblivion.esm with its checkbox empty. Once you activate that check box and start the game, poof, all of a sudden you will be given notifications of all of the DLCs being active in your game and will function normally. If you are a Steam Deck user like myself, you may not see the box so instead just double click on Oblivion.esm and it will activate and the box will appear. You will know when this has worked when you then load your next save and get a bunch of new quests and quest items crammed into your inventory.

There, I just saved you 20 bucks and/or a trip to some dubious download/key site all to obtain 9 DLC packs that USED to be free before Bethesda tried to charge for them here on Steam.

21 Comments
Rex Bellator 24 Feb @ 2:39pm 
Guide author doesn't know what they're talking about. The horse armor DLC, Battlehorn Castle, Mehrune's Dagger, etc.. were never free. They were individually sold through XBOX's game store and through Bethesda's old website for PC. You would buy it and be given a download link to an installer that would install them individually.

You would only ever get them 'free' if you pirated them :b

When Oblivion started being re-sold digitally it was the GOTY edition which included the base game, Shivering Isles and Knights of the Nine. But the 'Deluxe' package of the GOTY edition included the aforementioned DLCs for higher price. It's understandable that people might get confused but it has nothing to do with Bethesda selling something that was free.
klonkhead 23 Feb @ 10:31am 
It worked. Donflymoor also did a nice summary. Thanks
marham 15 Jan @ 5:32am 
does not seem to work
Kick_Ghostie345 14 Jan @ 2:46am 
so if I only see shivering and knights in the list checking oblivion will make the others work?
SinofSatyn 7 Jan @ 12:40pm 
tried this and it only showed the shivering isles and knights dlc in the list, if you are going to update this guide please do because i literally cannot mod my game without all the dlc :(
probably a ghost 23 Dec, 2024 @ 8:54am 
When I look at the data files list though it ONLY shows me the Shivering Isles DLC as a checkbook, is that normal?
Not With Uber 22 Dec, 2024 @ 5:38pm 
do i have to uncheck everything and then only check Oblivion.esm?
Seasalt Carmel 17 Dec, 2024 @ 2:09am 
dang! good job on planet earth take an award :winter2019happybulb:
Robo 16 Dec, 2024 @ 1:37pm 
I assumed this was common knowledge, but... Ig not.

Not trying to be argumentative I just genuinely thought most people knew this
Mr. Money 15 Dec, 2024 @ 11:26am 
Thank you very much :lario: