Well, Warner Bros. Games has done it again. You might have expected the company to step lightly after annoying so many gamers with the shambolic launch of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, but that's not the case. The first DLC for Suicide Squad has launched, and it centers around Joker. Unfortunately, fans are up in arms about the unlock requirements for the content, and it's just brought the beleaguered game back into negative press once again.
News in brief:
- Joker DLC requires players to push back through old content for access
- Or they can choose to pay $10 to unlock it otherwise
- There were definitely better options for Warner Bros. Games here
While the Joker's star may have been tarnished with the variable nature of recent adaptations, there's no doubting the Batman villain is the best known villain in all comic books. Therefore, a DLC centering around the character should be an instant slam dunk. Apparently not for Suicide Squad, which is once again in the news in a bad way. The DLC is now available, but many are upset about the unlock requirements for the Clown Prince of Crime.
As Suicide Squad is a live service game, "seasons" of content have been planned, and as part of these seasons, progression is reset between seasons. While this isn't the worst idea ever, the Joker has been locked behind a requirement of beating the game again — meaning those who have already beaten the game will now need to do it again if they want to play as Joker. Yes, in order to play new content, you have to grind old content.
But Warner Bros. Games have been generous — instead of playing through old content, you can pay them $10 to just unlock Joker immediately. This isn't quite what fans expected when it was announced that all of the first season's DLC would be free to make up for the terrible launch, and you can be sure they're outraged.
This was so simple to avoid. Joker could still have been placed behind a progression wall, but instead of making it this season's progression, it could have been last season's progression, meaning those who had already beaten Brainiac could have received Joker immediately. Forcing players to replay old content with the promise of new feels like pumping the numbers, using a reward incentive in the worst possible way to inflate player counts, and make the game seem more popular.