Capcom’s Games Are Too Good for Gross Unlock DLC

Monster Hunter Wilds has all the components of a modern Capcom game. It’s a well-received entry in a long-running franchise that translates most of what that series does well but also innovates in key spots. It’s a rather beautiful title powered by the RE Engine (although this one does suffer from some technical mishaps on some platforms). And, unfortunately, it’s also got more than its fair share of gross DLC that feels out of place in a game with this much going for it.

Despite just coming out, Monster Hunter Wilds’ DLC page already has over 20 items on it. Some are free and include emotes and various helpful items, but they are outflanked by cosmetic add-ons that range from an eyepatch to face paint to a wind chime that can be put on the player’s weapon or Seikret mount. All of the non-bundled items range from $1.49 to $6.99, making it much less than a big crossover skin in Call of Duty, for example.

Cosmetic DLC, while slightly annoying in many cases, is not the main problem here, though. The more important issue is the Palico and character edit vouchers. For $6.99, players can reconfigure their main character or furry Palico buddies up to three times. The “or” in the previous sentence does a lot of work there, because these vouchers are exclusive to each side. However, there is, of course, a $9.99 bundle that yields three vouchers for each.

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Even though there is one free pass for each side and not every tweak requires a voucher, it’s still quite frustrating to see how character customization is being locked behind a paywall when it’s a relatively standard feature. Elden Ring lets players switch things up by visiting the mirror in the Roundtable Hold, which is easy to get to. Thanks to a post-launch update, Baldur’s Gate 3 has a similarly enchanted mirror that also, with some caveats, lets users go back to the character creator and make different choices. These examples — and many more — don’t even cost in-game resources.

It’s even more ridiculous when considering how long Monster Hunter Wilds is likely to be supported. Monster Hunter World received updates long after launch, as well as a huge expansion over a year and a half later. Hunters are probably going to stick with this title for some time, so it’s extra irksome to charge for the option to change things for those in it for the long haul.

Nickeling and diming players is a problem in the video game industry at large, but, as previously mentioned, also within Capcom. Many of the esteemed publisher’s games have comparable items that cross a line in one way or another. Devil May Cry 5 has multiple orb packs that let players level up quickly or upgrade their health. Exoprimal has early unlock tokens for alternate classes.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 has multiple consumables for sale that let players fast travel, lure harpies more easily, accrue special currencies, and spawn keys to name a few, as well as other pawn-centric items that revive lackeys, randomize their inclinations, and customize their appearance. It’s ridiculous and artificially makes a prickly yet memorable game more approachable by spending money, not through accessibility options.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 might be the most egregious, but most of the Resident Evil games have their own cheap shortcuts that unlock game-breaking weapons or, at the very least, give players an edge through extra resources. The series has almost always had a robust way of gradually letting players grow in power as they conquer tougher and tougher challenges until they morph into an extreme badass within infinite ammo. But tantalizingly dangling easy shortcuts undercuts that journey and the careful design that goes into a well-curated reward cycle.

This is all even more confusing since Capcom has consistently been cranking out incredible experiences that best most other publishers. Street Fighter 6 and Devil May Cry 5 both got their franchises back on track. Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is a thoughtful translation of a classic. Kunitsu-Gami and Exoprimal are both new IPs as well as novel throwbacks to simpler eras. Resident Evil is a particular standout since Capcom is simultaneously fostering two separate branches of the series, both of which have been mostly fantastic.

Ever since Resident Evil 7’s release in 2017, the company has thoughtfully resurrected old IPs by staying true to those roots, releasing well-made collections, and not chasing trends that have damned many others. This disconnect is what makes this trend of selling odious DLC so disappointing. Capcom isn’t churning out ill-fitting live-service titles or hastily made hero shooters where these kinds of microtransactions would, sadly, make more sense.

It’s unclear how well selling early unlocks or customization vouchers do because even though Capcom is wonderfully transparent with sales, it doesn’t share its stats on DLC. It’s possible that these practices make it easier to justify new and expensive games. PlayStation’s former Head of Independent Developer Initiative Shuhei Yoshida said something similar about Sony’s aggressive remaster strategy with regards to how it funds new titles.

Regardless, that doesn’t make bad DLC easier to swallow. Capcom seems to know this because almost all of these examples go on sale a bit after the game’s launch, as if to avoid criticism that might be at its most fiery around release. But they’re on every storefront right at launch for Monster Hunter Wilds. It’s more brazen and not the most promising sign, especially from a publisher on this long of a hot streak.