Respawn’s stompy mech sequel was one of the highlights of E3, revealing new robots, grappling hook and a single player campaign. Perhaps, most impressively however, it also revealed a commitment to making all Titanfall 2's multiplayer DLC maps and modes free.
Speaking to co-founder Vince Zampella he clarified that, “we’re giving away all the maps and modes” adding that part of the reason was because “we don’t want to split the community”.
But there’s a catch: DLC costs and is usually paid for by… um, DLC. “We still want to provide post launch content because people want it, but it’s not free to do,” explains Zampella. “If we’re going to support the game that cost money”. It seems likely that cosmetic items might be what pays for the free stuff, although Zampella admits, "we haven’t got everything solved yet so that’s why it’s really hard to talk about it”.
However producer Drew McCoy thinks that whatever solution the studio arrives at, trust between developer and gamers is key. “We need to trust the player and they need to trust us,” he says. “Trust that if we do the right thing - not sell maps and modes - we’ll get more people investing with us, investing in the game as a whole. They’re going to trust us not screw them over and they can be happy with their $60 versions”.
Not a bad attitude to take in a world full of pre-order bonuses and extras that sometimes mean it can be impossible to own everything in a game by buying it once.
