It took more than two months following its launch, but finally, all of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's free DLC has been released.
And gamers have certainly enjoyed it. From new quests to alternative outfits, new combat animations to a New Game Plus mode, Witcher 3 developer CD Projekt Red certainly went above and beyond what most game development studios would have done — and that's not even taking into consideration the team's extensive post-launch patch support.
Now at the end of its free DLC road, CD Projekt Red says it hopes to have set an example for other game studios about how to treat DLC in the future.
"I'd like to extend my thanks to all the gamers who played our game and gave these DLCs a try," said CD Projekt Red co-founder and CEO Marcin Iwinski in a statement on the Witcher forums. "Nothing makes a developer happier than seeing gamers have fun with what they created.
"I would really like to see such initiatives become an industry standard rather than an exception to the general rule, and I hope that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has set a good example."
It's important to keep in mind that Witcher 3 will be releasing paid DLC in the form of two expansions later this year. CD Projekt Red says the expansions will offer up to 30 hours of additional gameplay combined, with the game's expansion pass retailing for $24.99.
It really all comes down to value. CD Projekt Red has said in the past that it doesn't believe in charging for minor pieces of content or updates to the game that should be free. Instead, it's focusing on large, meaty expansions that will give gamers bang for their buck.
Compared with the season passes of other games, which regularly retail for $40 or even $50 for new multiplayer maps, skins and weapons, CD Projekt Red has certainly proven that its DLC practices are the exception to the game industry's DLC rules. Hopefully, other developers will follow its lead.
Be sure to follow T-Lounge on Twitter and visit our Facebook page.
