The Long Dark’s very first paid DLC is coming “later this year”.
That’s according to a new developer diary in which Hinterland Studio reflects on the last eight years of development, as well as teasing what may be coming next, including a premium season pass to ensure the game “continues to be financially self-sustaining”.
The April Dev Diary is here! The diary includes important information about the future of #TheLongDark, news about Survival Mode, and more.
Learn more: https://t.co/50xyiYHpgX pic.twitter.com/2dJnD3uaSa
— The Long Dark (@IntoTheLongDark) April 29, 2022
To see this content please enable targeting cookies.
After focussing for so long on the sandbox and story modes, the team says it’s now ready to “decouple” them, mitigating issues that founder Raphael van Lierop says made development “unwieldy” at times.
Consequently, Hinterland intends to release “some kind of ‘season pass’-type approach” later this year which will “have a ~15-18 month campaign of updates that unlock for anyone who has purchased the pass. The updates will come on a regular cadence over the course of that period”.
It’s hoped the pass will include “a combination of content and gameplay system updates” including “new regions, challenges, and mechanics”.
For those not fond of season passes, the team expects to be able to offer the update in smaller DLC packages, too, that it says will be “very fairly priced”.
“We want to make sure our existing players who choose not to buy any more content (or are unable to afford it) are still going to have a great experience of The Long Dark, and won’t feel left behind,” van Lierop emphasised (thanks, PCGN).