The post-launch plans for Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night have been revealed, but one paid DLC has stirred controversy among the backers of the game’s Kickstarter roots.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, a spiritual successor of the Castlevania series, started life in 2015 as a Kickstarter project. Behind the game was Koji Igarashi, the longest-running producer of the Castlevania franchise.
The side-scrolling action game blasted through its Kickstarter goal in just one day. For a short while, it held the record for the most-backed video game on the crowdfunding website, until Shenmue 3 surpassed it after just one week.
Less than a month before Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night will finally be released, developer 505 Games revealed its post-launch content. First up are the stretch goals achieved by the Kickstarter campaign, which will be available to everyone who buys the game, not just to its backers. Coming as day-one downloads are the Boss Run and Speedrun modes, as well as the Pure Miriam alternate outfit for the protagonist.
Additional free DLC that will be released for the game are as follows:
- Two additional playable characters
- Local and online multiplayer for certain co-op and vs. modes
- Roguelike mode
- Chaos mode
- Classic mode
- Boss Revenge mode
The game developers stirred some controversy with the Iga’s Back Pack DLC, which will be sold for $9.99. Players who purchase the DLC will be able to fight against none other than Igarashi himself, and will earn the Swordwhip weapon by beating him.
The controversy stems from the fact that the DLC, and the Swordwhip weapon that can be earned from it, was initially exclusive to Kickstarter backers. According to 505 Games, the decision to release the content as a paid DLC was not just about making money, but also so that all players will be able to get the full experience without having to resort to methods such as piracy.
Backers of the game, however, took to its Kickstarter page to show their disapproval of the move. The Swordwhip weapon was supposed to be something unique shared between backers, and was one of the reasons why people pledged $60 or higher during the crowdfunding campaign.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night will launch for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on June 18, and for the Nintendo Switch on June 25. The game was also supposed to launch on the Nintendo Wii U, but that was cancelled in favor of releasing on the Nintendo Switch. The PlayStation Vita version has also been shelved.
