Resident Evil 4 remake adds Mercenaries and microtransactions

A fan-favorite mode arrives alongside a curious store addition

The Mercenaries mode for the Resident Evil 4 remake dropped at midnight last night. But alongside that surprise was a seemingly unannounced feature: microtransactions.

Several different weapon upgrade tickets have been added as paid DLC in the store for Resident Evil 4, offering access to a weapon’s exclusive upgrade at any time. Here’s the store text description for one of the ticket optons:

To gun enthusiasts, knife collectors, and lovers of weapons of any and all kinds: here’s your ticket to the gun show! Specifically a ticket to be redeemed at the Merchant’s shop. With this, you’ll have access to a weapon’s exclusive upgrade at any time, regardless of the weapon’s level. Not only that, but once unlocked, the upgrade itself is free of charge!

Note:

This item will be added to the Treasures menu and will be available across all of your saved data.

It is DLC for a single-player game, so it doesn’t feel particularly incentivized. Essentially, it’s like cheat code DLC. It’s a bit strange that Capcom adds this two weeks after the full release of the Resident Evil 4 remake. But they’re there now, and available for amounts ranging from $2.99 for one upgrade ticket to $9.99 for a five-ticket bulk buy.

The Mercs are back in town

Aside from the microtransactions, The Mercenaries mode has also been added. This arcade-style, action-heavy mode was a fondly remembered piece of the original RE4, and thankfully, fans didn’t have to wait too long for the new version in the remake.

In The Mercenaries, the player try to survive the horde against both increasingly dangerous enemies and an ever-ticking timer. Different pick-ups and power-ups dot the landscape, and you can even pop a special meter for a little help. There are four characters available to start: Leon, Luis, Krauser, and everyone’s favorite RE Mercs star, Hunk.

Ada and Wesker, both in the original RE4 Mercenaries, are curiously absent. It’s speculated on whether they might be added later, or as potential DLC. Considering Capcom’s approach to Mercs content in Resident Evil Village, I wouldn’t be surprised to see those two and maybe even a few more arrive as post-launch updates.

The Mercenaries is available in Resident Evil 4 now, on all platforms.

Eric Van Allen

Senior News Reporter