The words "free" and "DLC" are rarely found in the same sentence. Whether it's charging a few dollars for additional weapons or $20 for new missions, maps or quests, downloadable content has become a large revenue generator for many game developers.
Developer CD Projekt Red is taking a different approach. With their upcoming RPG The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, the developer is promising 16 pieces of DLC will be coming to the game post-launch. Better yet, it will all be free for any player that has purchased the game.
Marcin Iwiński, co-founder and Joint CEO of CD Projekt Red, explains the developer's stance in an open letter on the Witcher 3 website.
"As gamers, we nowadays have to hold on tight to our wallets, as surprisingly right after release, lots of tiny pieces of tempting content materialize with a steep price tag attached," Iwiński writes. "Haven't we just paid a lot of cash for a brand new game? As CD PROJEKT RED, we strongly believe this is not the way it should work and, with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, we have decided to do it differently."
Players don't have to pre-order or buy any special editions to receive the DLC. Every player will get it with their purchase of the game. Two pieces of DLC will be released every week, for eight weeks, after the release of the game. The first two pieces of DLC available will be a new armor set and hairstyle for Witcher 3 protagonist Geralt, ready to download the day after the game launches. The third, available starting March 4, will be an additional quest.
CD Projekt Red has a history of being "anti-DLC," as well as anti-DRM. The developer released much improved versions of both the original Witcher and the Witcher 2: Assassin's of Kings that included new quests, improved gameplay and more for no additional cost to players who already owned the game. CD Projekt Red also owns the downloadable video game site Good Old Games, which sells older, hard to find games DRM free and come loaded with extra goodies like soundtracks, wallpapers and developer commentaries.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt releases on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC on Feb. 24.
Photo: CD Projekt Red
