10 worst video game DLCs of all time

Experiencing fresh content for your preferred game is always thrilling, but it can be incredibly disappointing when you acquire it and it falls flat. Sometimes it fails to meet your expectations or turns out to be just a money-making scheme, and unfortunately, there’s no scarcity of DLCs in the gaming world that have been criticized by fans. Additionally, there are numerous DLCs that exemplify questionable business practices within the video game industry.

What I’d like to clarify is that we’re excluding all forms of microtransactions from our discussion. Although many of these transactions can be questionable on their own, our focus is specifically on additional game content packs for popular titles, which some fans felt were overpriced or not worth the cost.

The Sims 4: My Wedding Stories

Among The Sims 4’s numerous expansion packs, several are worth mentioning, although some critics argue they frequently republish content from previous games, with fans expected to pay for these updates. However, “My Wedding Stories” was particularly controversial because it was plagued with issues at its release, and the development team took a significant amount of time to address these problems.

The Saboteur: The Midnight Show

In current times, The Saboteur is often viewed as a concealed treasure, although it was met with somewhat average critic reviews initially. However, regardless of personal opinions, The Midnight Show DLC continues to warrant contempt.

In the narrative of The Saboteur, your secret hideout is established within the Belle De Nuit Burlesque house, which serves as a subtle pretext to incorporate scantily-clad characters in the plotline. However, be prepared for more explicit content if you opt for the $5 Mightnight Show DLC, as it leads to the women in your base appearing nude with minimal additional gameplay elements.

The Elder Scrolls 4 Oblivion: Horse armor

Although we frequently commend Oblivion for boasting one of the finest DLCs ever created, it’s worth noting that it is equally notorious. This notoriety has become so pronounced that it’s often accused of being a catalyst for the proliferation of microtransactions and live service models.

Back in 2005, if you weren’t part of the gaming community, it might strike you as odd that everyone was furious about spending $2.50 on a cosmetic item in a video game. Nowadays, that price point is considered reasonable, and it’s this kind of DLC that paved the way for such practices to become accepted among gamers. Many thought back then that this was the beginning of a downward spiral, and looking back, they were absolutely correct.

Sonic Lost World: 25 lives

In contemporary Sonic the Hedgehog games, charging for additional lives seems illogical and unnecessary, given that such a feature is typically only found in arcade games. It’s preposterous to incorporate this mechanic into a modern Sonic title. Beyond the questionable value of what you’re paying for, it’s important to note that Sonic Lost World is generally an easy game. An experienced Sonic player would rarely use more than 25 lives during their entire playthrough. Furthermore, there are numerous ways to obtain extra lives within the game without any additional cost.

WWE 2K24: Pat McAfee pack

For a brief moment, allow me to switch into the role of an ardent WWE enthusiast. It’s often appreciated by fans when WWE 2K releases downloadable content packs. The joy of playing as fresh legends or contemporary wrestlers who didn’t make it onto the main game roster is fantastic. We’re more than willing to pay a bit more upfront for these characters, rather than waiting until next year’s edition.

Occasionally, a collection may include characters you’re indifferent to, which can be frustrating, especially when nearly half of them have no connection to WWE. While Pat McAfee, who primarily serves as a commentator, has participated in matches occasionally, making him a sought-after addition to the team, including his co-stars from his TV show unnecessarily seems redundant. Many wrestling enthusiasts are unfamiliar with these individuals, and even those who recognize them often have little interest in seeing them in a wrestling video game.

Sonic Adventure: DX Upgrade

Initially, there were some initial hiccups, but Sonic Adventure is widely recognized as the first major 3D installment in the Sonic series. Despite showing its age now, it was generally well-liked when it debuted in 1999, receiving an upgraded version called Sonic Adventure DX: Director’s Cut in 2003.

As a Sonic fan, I can’t help but feel disappointed when I recall the release of the HD Remaster on PS3 and Xbox 360 in 2010. While it was the remastered version, it essentially reverted back to the original 1999 game, leaving out all the exciting additions from the 2003 edition that I and many other fans had grown to love. To access those improvements, we were forced to spend additional money on the DX Upgrade pack.

Mass Effect 3: From Ashes

In numerous aspects, Mass Effect 3 displeased its player community, with the day-one DLC serving as an initial misstep. Making a character and narrative exclusive behind a paywall, which arguably should have been part of the main game, was not a tactic to win over fans’ affection, but rather a blatant effort to swiftly capitalize on a well-liked franchise.

Kingdom Hearts 3: Re:Mind

As a die-hard fan, I must confess, Re:Mind left me scratching my head. It’s not that this franchise isn’t known for its enigmatic choices, but this one felt particularly puzzling. Essentially, Re:Mind rehashes the main game’s finale, adding a smattering of additional lore tidbits and a boss gauntlet that left many critics underwhelmed, finding it more tedious than satisfying. While devoted fans might find something to savor, the $30 price tag left most of us feeling like we weren’t getting our money’s worth.

Train Simulator Classic: All of it

In the gaming world, Train Simulator Classic stands out as it doesn’t follow the usual yearly release cycle. Instead, whenever a fresh version drops, it magically upgrades my gaming experience automatically! But if I fancy any of the fresh content, I’ve got to grab the DLC for that. The developers keep surprising us with new DLC packs, opening up new routes, trains, and activities to conquer.

2024 finds us in a predicament: there are more than 850 DLC packs available for this game now. The prices range, but if you were to own every single one, it’d set you back over $10,000! Even if we divide that cost by the 15 years since its 2009 launch, it’s still an astronomical sum. Frankly, no matter how passionate a train enthusiast you might be, it’s too steep a price tag for anyone to swallow.

Asura’s Wrath: True Ending

Among various questionable business tactics discussed, this one could potentially be the most egregious. The action RPG, Asura’s Wrath, offers a compelling narrative that warrants a true ending, which is usually unlocked through specific story choices or gameplay milestones. However, the creators of Asura’s Wrath took an unconventional approach – requiring players to pay extra to access this true ending.

Instead of requiring players’ skills for an engaging challenge, the real climax, concluding scene, and overall story were hidden within a $7 expansion pack as downloadable content (DLC).

2025-06-20 14:47