If you ’ve played any plot in the last few years – be it Call of Duty , Fortnite or even Minecraft – you ’ve in all likelihood heard of the acronym DLC .
But what does DLC mean and why should you care ? We ’ve assembled this guide to explicate what DLC is , and the different forms that it can take .
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What is DLC?
The acronym DLC stands for downloadable capacity , and is a reference to add - on subject for a television game leverage . You ’ll need to already own the base game to habituate DLC .
DLC can take a variety of forms , from reference skin inFortniteto intact Modern game levels such as stock and Wine forThe Witcher 3 . You ’ll unremarkably have to pay for DLC , but there are example where it can be given away for devoid .
For instance , Nintendo provides seasonal updates forAnimal Crossing : New Horizonsfor free , devote histrion access to new items , locating and even gameplay feature article such as swimming .
You ’ll normally have to download DLC separately to the base game , but studios will sometimes cluster in all of the post - launch depicted object in newfangled sack such as ‘ game of the twelvemonth ’ variation .
There are various reasons why studios will release DLC . ordinarily it ’s just to keep people playing the game for as long as possible , which is a common tactic fromlive - inspection and repair gamessuch as Fortnite , Apex Legendsand more .
Other games , such asThe Last of Usand The Witcher 3 , just offer players the fortune to play an superfluous section of the main risky venture , which potentially did n’t make the final cut for the base game .
DLC has been criticised extensively in the retiring few years , specially when it comes to the the likes of of loot loge . These are shop mechanic that enable gamers to run a risk with their real money for the chance of unlocking a rarified item . FIFA ’s Ultimate Team is a ill-famed instance of this , as player can buy board pack that have a random assortment of football game players . It has beensuggested that this is a descriptor of gaming , which is exploitative on player .
Critics have alsosuggested that pay - to - win DLC can give player an unfair advantagein multiplayer game if they ’re uncoerced to squelch the cash . This can take the form of a high up - powered weapon , power buff or even a character tegument that easy blend in into the background .
But with DLC covering such a wide spectrum of content , it ’s arguably too simplistic to say it ’s generally beneficial or spoilt for the game industry . There are lot of corking examples for both side of the argument .
