The roguelike Metroidvania game Dead Cells has finally confirmed the release date for its upcoming DLC, Return to Castlevania. The crossover with the iconic Konami series was announced late last year. It is the latest major piece of DLC for Dead Cells and will likely not be the last.
Released in 2018, Dead Cells quickly became one of the biggest independent video game success stories. At the time of its release, the game was praised by critics and has sold over 5 million copies worldwide. The game went on to release a number of pieces of DLC and revealed a 2022 Dead Cells roadmap which further indicated that the game isn't going away anytime soon. Now fans finally know when its latest content will be released.
Late last year, it was officially revealed that Dead Cells would be crossing over with the Castlevania franchise. A teaser trailer for the DLC, titled Return To Castlevania, was released in January which gave players a taste of what was to come. During the recent Nintendo Direct, a new trailer and release date for the DLC were unveiled. The trailer features a number of tributes to the original franchise, with music and level designs that appeared to be lifted straight from the series' classic installments. The Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania DLC is currently set to be released on March 6.
The Castlevania series is one of the oldest video game franchises in existence. The first installment, Castlevania, hit the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1986 which spawned many sequels, spinoffs, tributes, and spiritual successors. The franchise stalled out after the lackluster reception to Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 and as publisher Konami pivoted away from video game development into other industries. The company's latest release in the franchise was the Castlevania: Advanced Collection which was launched in 2021. Currently, it is not clear if the company intends to release any new installments.
Since Dead Cells originally launched, the developers have released three major pieces of DLC that continue the game's story. The Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania DLC is said to be twice as big as previous DLCs. The various trailers tease battles with Dracula and Death with the player character taking on the Belmont look, teaming up with Richter Belmont and Alucard, and using similar weapons as the series protagonists. Whether the DLC manages to capture the feel of the classic games, however, remains to be seen.
Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania will be available on March 6, 2023 for Mobile, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.