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What is DLC?
In This Article
If you’ve played any game in the last few years – be it Call of Duty, Fortnite or even Minecraft – you’ve likely heard of the acronym DLC.
But what does DLC mean and why should you care? We’ve assembled this guide to explain what DLC is, and the different forms that it can take.
What is DLC?
The acronym DLC stands for downloadable content, and is a reference to add-on content for a video game purchase. You’ll need to already own the base game in order to use DLC.
DLC can take a variety of forms, from character skins inFortniteto entire new game levels such as Blood and Wine forThe Witcher 3. You’ll usually have to pay for DLC, but there are instances where it can be given away for free.
For example, Nintendo provides seasonal updates forAnimal Crossing: New Horizonsfor free, giving players access to new items, locations and even gameplay features such as swimming.
You’ll normally have to download DLC separately to the base game, but studios will sometimes bundle in all of the post-launch content in new releases such as ‘game of the year’ editions.
There are various reasons why studios will release DLC. Usually it’s just to keep people playing the game for as long as possible, which is a common tactic fromlive-service gamessuch as Fortnite,Apex Legendsand more.
Other games, such asThe Last of Usand The Witcher 3, simply offer players the chance to play an extra segment of the main adventure, which potentially didn’t make the final cut for the base game.
DLC has been criticised extensively in the past few years, especially when it comes to the likes of loot boxes. These are mechanics that enable gamers to gamble with their real money for the chance of unlocking a rare item. FIFA’s Ultimate Team is a notorious example of this, as players can purchase card packs that have a random assortment of football players. It has beensuggested that this is a form of gambling, which is exploitative on players.
Critics have alsosuggested that pay-to-win DLC can give players an unfair advantagein multiplayer games if they’re willing to splash the cash. This can take the form of a high-powered weapon, power buff or even a character skin that easily blends into the background.
But with DLC covering such a wide spectrum of content, it’s arguably too simplistic to say it’s generally good or bad for the game industry. There are plenty of great examples for both sides of the argument.
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Formerly the Staff Writer at Stuff Magazine, Ryan’s been writing about tech since he graduated from Cardiff University. At Trusted Reviews he is focused on everything computer-related, giving him a va…
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Why trust our journalism?
Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
