On the very same day that the Resident Evil 4 remake was released, publisher Capcom pleasantly surprised fans by including at the end of their launch trailer a simple, yet exciting, announcement that The Mercenaries DLC for the game will also be coming soon. This remake of the classic survival horror video game took the original 2005 version and updated it with advanced graphics and revamped much of the story to give it an even darker tone. Added side quests and changes to the more controversial pieces of the story of the original all come together to make this RE4 remake have many surprises, even for veterans of the series.
The original Resident Evil 4 included a minigame that could be unlocked called The Mercenaries, as well as other bonus games, Separate Ways and Assignment Ada. The RE4 remake's launch trailer, which debuted on the same day as the game's release, March 24, includes at the very end a little peak down the road with the news that The Mercenaries will be added to the game as DLC content. This has made many fans excited because it was a feature of earlier Resident Evil games that many have been asking for since the remake was announced.
The Mercenaries DLC For Resident Evil 4 Remake Will Launch On April 7, 2023
On April 7th, 2023, just two weeks after the full release date for the Resident Evil 4 remake, an additional DLC, The Mercenaries, will be given to players to enjoy. This Mercenaries Mode is a common, and beloved, part of many of the games in the Resident Evil series. Most recently it was an unlockable mode in Resident Evil Village and has appeared in many of the games with slight differences to it each time it is reintroduced.
If the RE4 remake's The Mercenaries is similar to the original game's Mercenary mode, then players will need to have beat the main story for RE4's remake before the new DLC mode will unlock as an option in their game. With an April 7 release for the DLC, this gives players some time to beat the game so they are prepared for The Mercenaries as soon as it is available.
RE4's Mercenaries DLC Is Free
The subtle announcement that Resident Evil 4: The Mercenaries would be arriving on April 7 was made even more exciting with the news that this DLC will be free for everyone who owns the game. Most likely the game will have an automatic update on April 7 which will the necessary game files on that day, though this has not yet been officially stated by Capcom, therefore players should check for announcements on what they need to do in order to get The Mercenaries.
The Mercenaries DLC Will Be Available For All Versions Of The RE4 Remake
The new DLC The Mercenaries will be released for all versions of the RE4 remake. This means it is going to be available for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Naturally, a copy of the base Resident Evil 4 game for any of these platforms will be required in order to access The Mercenaries.
What Mercenaries Mode Was In Resident Evil 4, And What Characters Were Available
In the original Resident Evil 4 game, The Mercenaries was a mode that could be unlocked after the main story was completed and would allow players to select a Resident Evil 4 character and use them to try to kill as many enemies as possible during a specified time limit. The minigame kept track of rankings on how well players did, and they could unlock special weapons and more by playing this mode. The original game let players unlock new characters to use in Mercenaries mode, and this will most likely be the case in the RE4 remake as well. Based on those in the original game, the possible characters included:
- Leon S Kennedy: Unlocked by default
- Ada Wong: Unlocked after getting four stars in the Village Map
- H.U.N.K.: Unlocked after getting four stars on the Island Map
- Jack Kra: Unlocked after getting four stars in the Castle Map
- Albert Wesker: Unlocked after getting four stars on the Water World Island Map
Each of these characters has a different level of health as well as different weapons and equipment that can be used in The Mercenaries mode in the game. All of this is, of course, simply what was known from the original Resident Evil 4 game, and it could be altered for the RE4 remake by either allowing new or differing characters or by changing how to unlock the characters for the game mode if unlocking is even a requirement.
The Mercenaries DLC Is Good Clean Zombie Killing Fun For Resident Evil 4
The reason why The Mercenaries is always such a fun minigame mode in the Resident Evil games is that it comes right down to the heart of what players come to the game to do: kill a bunch of zombies. With a more arcade feel, players can just shoot at will and try to mow down as many enemies as possible, as quickly as possible, to get the next high score. Although the story of the Resident Evil franchise titles is always an important part, sometimes players simply want to kill bad guys.
The Resident Evil 4 remake is already available for fans to experience all the subtle changes, updated graphics, technological advancements, and added content to the story and side quests. Then, on April 7, this additional DLC, The Mercenaries, will be released to give yet another mode to enjoy. It will be interesting to see how much the developers choose to keep The Mercenaries similar to the original mode or change it in surprising ways for this new remake. Resident Evil 4 has already given fans many surprises, including this sudden announcement of The Mercenaries' launch.
Source: Resident Evil/YouTube
