According to the developers ofDead Cells, the upcomingReturn to CastlevaniaDLC expansion is expected to be “twice as big” as past DLC campaigns. ThisCastlevania-themed DLCwas first revealed at the past The Game Awards show, with an animated trailer for the roguelike that caught many by surprise. Past crossover DLC withDead Cellswasn’t too special, as it mostly revolved around referential skins and weapons. The fact that the roguelike is collaborating with a classic gaming franchise like Konami’sCastlevaniawas a shocker, especially with Konami leaving the series on the proverbial shelf.
This DLC forDead Cellsis developed by Evil Empire, an indie studio comprised of past Motion Twin employees, who were also responsible for the otherpost-launch content ofDead Cells. Game Informer recently interviewed Evil Empire’s co-founder and brand manager, Benjamin Laulan and Berenger Dupre respectively, about the DLC, what to expect about its size, and collaborating with Konami to make it happen.
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According to Laulan, theDead Cells: Return to CastlevaniaDLCwill be the biggest one yet, claiming that it is “basically twice as big” as the past DLCs that have been released. This includes a brand-new storyline that involves recurring characters from theCastlevaniaseries. This features classic characters fromSymphony of the Night, such as Alucard, Dracula, Richter Belmont, and others.
With the game being a roguelike, the developers wanted to make things interesting by adding new items toDead Cellsbased onCastlevania. This includes 14 new weapons like Alucard’s Sword or the Cross. There will also be three new bosses that will be in the game, along with three new biomes based onCastlevanialocations. Laulan also noted that they got permission from Konami to addCastlevaniamusic to the game, along with composing remixes of classic tracks in the style ofDead Cells. Laulan stated that all of these additions essentially serve as a giant love letter to Konami’s franchise.
Dupre and Laulan stated that they had manynostalgic memories ofCastlevaniaitself, with both of them considering it a dream come true. The primary inspiration ofDead CellswasSymphony of the Night, so this is a fitting crossover as well. The developers tease that there is one surprise that fans should anticipate finding in the game, letting them know they’re really excited for fans to discover it as well.
Dead Cells: Return to Castlevaniawill be available in Q1 2023 for Mobile, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
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