Uncharted 4: A Thief's End is one of the most hotly anticipated titles on the PlayStation 4 release schedule, perhaps even more so following the last minute delay that saw it pushed from 2015 to 2016. By the time the game releases, five years will have passed since Uncharted 3 hit shelves in 2011 — but at least there will be more of the game to satiate players this time around.

Unlike previous games in the series, Naughty Dog has announced that Uncharted 4 will receive post-launch single-player DLC. This content will be made available as part of the Uncharted Triple Pack, which also contains two portions of multiplayer DLC set to offer a host of new items for use online in the game's competitive modes.

Speaking at the Gamespot Expo, Naughty Dog's Arne Meyer explained that Uncharted 4 will receive a single player DLC expansion because of the studio's success producing similar content for the award-winning The Last of Us. "It worked really well for us," said Meyer.

The Last of Us was followed by Left Behind, a single-player expansion set largely in a shopping mall. Critics praised the content for its thoughtful representation of LGBT characters, as well as the studio's efforts to differentiate the experience from the base game.

Rather than controlling Nathan, players took on the role of Ellie — which provided an opportunity for the DLC to fill in plot elements and flesh out the base game's story. Some studios create DLC as nothing less than a cash grab, but Left Behind felt like something much more organic.

Simply put, there's plenty of reason for Uncharted fans to look forward to the prospect of single-player DLC. If it's anything like Left Behind, it will be a welcome expansion of the gameplay and the narrative from A Thief's End, and it won't feel like content that should have been included in the initial release.

Fans of the series will undoubtedly be interested to hear just what we can expect from the DLC. Details likely won't be shared by Naughty Dog until Uncharted 4 has been released, so as to avoid any possible spoilers — but speculation will assuredly run rampant until that time.

Given that the character switch did so much for Left Behind, it wouldn't be surprising to see a similar strategy employed for Uncharted. Fan favourite Sully would be one prime candidate to act as the player character, but Nathan's long-lost brother Sam or his wife Elena could also fit the bill.

Confirmation of this DLC will only make the wait for Uncharted 4 all the more tantalizing for fans — but if this truly is A Thief's End, then at least there will be plenty of content on offer before Nathan Drake and his pals ride into the sunset.

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End is set to release on March 18, 2016 for PlayStation 4.

Source: Gamespot