It is no secret that Resident Evil Village was a huge success for Capcom. Shortly after its release last year, Resident Evil Village sold over 6 million units worldwide, further establishing the franchise's relevance in video games today. Last month, after over a year of waiting, Capcom finally gave Resident Evil fans a much-needed update on the upcoming DLC for Resident Evil Village.
Dubbed the Winters Expansion, the DLC is slated to release on October 28th and will consist of several pieces of content. As announced by Capcom, the Winters Expansion consists of a new story campaign set after the events of Resident Evil Village, a new mode offering players a different perspective to play the base game, and an update to the Mercenaries mode.
Resident Evil Village DLC: Shadows of Rose
The most anticipated content included in The Winters Expansion is the new story campaign titled Shadows of Rose. In a trailer released by Capcom, Shadows of Rose will explore the story of Rose Winters, 16 years after the events of Resident Evil Village. It is worth pointing out that, unlike the main game, Shadows of Rose will be played entirely from a third-person perspective. In the upcoming story DLC, Rose returns to the iconic village, where she stumbles upon someone who looks exactly like her. Using her powers to traverse the village, Rose appears to be guided by a mysterious presence known as "Michael."
While Shadows of Rose is just an extension of Resident Evil Village's story, many speculate that the events that would take place in the DLC could be a setup for what's to come in the next mainline entry in the Resident Evil franchise. But, of course, while it is exciting to see how Capcom plans to move forward with the franchise with Rose at the helm, the vast time jump could mean the end of the line for the legacy characters that have been in Resident Evil since the '90s.
Resident Evil Village DLC: Third Person Mode
Another exciting part of Resident Evil Village's Winters Expansion is the addition of a third-person mode. It is worth remembering that in Resident Evil 7 and Village, Capcom somewhat divided its fanbase by shifting from the tried and tested third-person mode in favor of a first-person perspective. Thankfully, adding a third-person mode will allow players to experience Resident Evil Village the traditional way. Additionally, the third-person mode is expected to dial down the horror factor of Resident Evil Village, which should benefit players who find first-person too intimidating.
Resident Evil Village DLC: The Mercenaries Additional Orders
Apart from Shadows of Rose and Third-Person, Resident Evil Village is also getting an expansion for its Mercenaries mode. According to Capcom, the DLC expansion will add three new playable characters to the Mercenaries mode in the form of Chris Redfield, Karl Heisenberg, and of course, the fan-favorite Lady Dimitrescu. Additionally, The Mercenaries Additional Orders will include new stages for players to test their combat skills. It is worth noting that Resident Evil Village's Mercenaries Mode will only be unlocked after players beat the main story campaign.
Resident Evil Re: Verse
While Resident Evil Re: Verse isn't technically part of The Winters Expansion, Capcom confirmed that the multiplayer game, originally set to release alongside Resident Evil Village, will now launch alongside the DLC on October 28th. For the uninitiated, Resident Evil Re: Verse is a six-player PvP deathmatch game where players can play as different characters across the franchise.
The confirmed lineup of human characters currently includes Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, Leon Kennedy, Claire Redfield, and HUNK. On the other hand, confirmed playable bioweapons include the Fat Molded, Hunter Gamma, Jack Baker, Nemesis, and Tyrant T-103 (Mr. X). While the multiplayer game had an open beta test in April 2021, it ended earlier than scheduled due to matchmaking problems, leading to Resident Evil Re: Verse's eventual delay.
Resident Evil Village is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
