A new Capcom financial report has revealed that the company is planning to release free Resident Evil Village DLC. We don't know what form that DLC will take just yet, but Capcom says it's part of its strategy moving forward.
What do we know about this free Resident Evil Village DLC?
In Capcom's annual investor report, the company recaps its performance over the last year. Under the "Creative Report" section of the document, in which Capcom looks at its IP strategy, the studio says it will build "a business model for online operations" and will take into account free additional DLC for games like Monster Hunter Rise and Resident Evil Village. We're pretty big fans of Capcom's latest spookfest in TechRaptor Towers, so we're pleased to hear the game will continue to be supported over the next year or so.
We don't know exactly what form the free Resident Evil Village DLC will take just yet. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard gave players Not A Hero, a free DLC campaign starring series regular Chris Redfield that launched alongside the game's Gold Edition. We might well see a free story addon just like this for Village, although given how the game ends (no spoilers!), it might have to take place prior to or during the events of the main narrative. Alternatively, we could be getting new game modes, or even just some extra weapons and items. It's too early to say just yet, but stay tuned for more.
It comes after what has been a pretty good year for Capcom. Resident Evil Village has shifted 4.5 million units so far, contributing to total franchise sales of 110 million. Also performing well for the company is Monster Hunter Rise, which has sold 4.8 million units to date and will also be receiving some more free DLC in the coming months. These impressive numbers are bolstered by games like Street Fighter V (5.5 million units) and Mega Man 11 (1.1 million, appropriately enough). It looks like the Capcom train is showing no signs of slowing anytime soon.
What's next for Capcom?
The financial report also outlines what's on the horizon for the Resident Evil and Monster Hunter developer. Capcom says it plans to iterate further on its RE Engine, which made its debut in the excellent Resident Evil 7: Biohazard and has since been used to power games as diverse as Devil May Cry 5 and Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection. Expect to see that engine do more weird and wonderful things as time goes on.
In terms of future titles, rest assured that if you've been waiting for Capcom's Pragmata to launch, it's still in development. Since it was announced back in June last year, we haven't heard too much from this rather strange-looking game, other than a move to a 2023 release date at the start of this year. Despite this setback, Capcom assures its investors that Pragmata development is making "steady progress", spearheaded largely by "young employees" who are gaining valuable experience in how to craft new IPs in the industry. Here's hoping we hear more about this promising-looking action-adventure game soon.
Are you excited for prospective free Resident Evil Village DLC? Let us know in the comments below!
