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In modern times, DLCs have captured a huge part of the gaming world. When a game gains significant popularity and players are unwilling to abandon their journey, they consistently request expansions or DLCs. Often developers grant their wish and bring expansions that are better than what fans expected. Some of them even take an entire decade to release.
Players can easily consider Ubisoft’sSkull and Bonesas an example. This game was initially planned to be an expansion ofAssassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. Ubisoft started working on it in 2013, and the game took ten years to be fully developed. Unfortunately, its similarities with theAssassin’s Creedgame were not enough, and the game faced a tragic downfall.
Anyway, there’s no reason to get upset aboutSkull and Bones. The gaming world has multiple titles that were initially DLCs, but later the developers created them as separate games to conquer the hearts of gamers.
10Saints Row 4
Let’s begin the list withSaints Row 4. Saints Row is undoubtedly one of the biggest action-adventure series by Volition. WhileSaints Row 4is presently one of the major entries in the series, a lot of fans are unaware that it was initially completely different.
AfterSaints Row: The Thirdwas released in 2011, a DLC was announced for 2012. Even the title was revealed, “Enter the Dominatrix.” However, for some financial reasons, this project stopped in the middle, and later Volition decided to turn this expansion into a full-length game. Thus,Saints Row 4was released in 2013.
9Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon
Far Cry 3: Blood Dragonis another Ubisoft game that is a separate installment in the series, but this title was released as a stand-alone expansion toFar Cry 3. Despite the game havingFar Cry 3in its name, the gameplay doesn’t continue the story ofFar Cry 3at all. Instead, it only shares similar gameplay mechanics and in-game engine.
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Ubisoftintroduced a new plot, characters, and gameplay inFar Cry 3: Blood Dragon, and only a few years later, this game received a remastered version.
8Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
If you are someone who loves playing shooter games orbattle royales to start your day, you’ve probably heard about Naughty Dog’sUnchartedseries. If you have some experience playing these games,Uncharted: The Lost Legacyis one of the installments that you might have played.
However, not many players know that this game was initially planned to be a DLC with the same length asThe Last of Us: Left Behind.However, later on, the development team realized it was going to be too long, and decided to make it a separate game.
7Super Mario Galaxy 2
The Super Mario franchise is one of Nintendo’s biggest exclusive gaming series. Mario’s 3D adventure has a stable fanbase, and most of them have experiencedSuper Mario Galaxy 2.
However, while playing the game, players might not realize that it was initially planned to be a DLC forSuper Mario Galaxy 1. The game took more time than expected, and that’s when the team considered making it a full-length sequel and not a DLC.
6Hollow Knight: Silksong
TheHollow Knightfranchise is about to get a new installment, namedHollow Knight: Silksong. And this massively popular game is about to get an epic sequel, which wasn’t planned to be a sequel. Initially, theSilksongwas a DLC that Team Cherry planned to introduce.
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However, later it decided to add more content to make it a separate sequel, rather than a DLC.
5Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem
Timelock Studio’sSerious Samseries is one of the finest FPS gaming series available, and it received theSerious Sam: Siberian Mayheminstallment in 2022. Though it was released as a full-length game, the initial plan was something different.
The studio initially planned it as a three-level DLC forSerious Sam 4. Reportedly, two of these levels went so long that the team made it a standalone game and not a DLC.
4Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
As we near the end of the list, how can we missRockstar, and in particular,GTA?GTAis one of the most popular franchises in the world. If you have played most of theGTAgames,Vice Cityis likely be among them. But what most players don’t know is that it was planned as a DLC.
Initially, Rockstar thoughtGTA: Vice Citywould be a DLC toGTA 3. However, during the development process, the game went so far in size that it couldn’t be a DLC anymore. So, it was released as a separate game.
3Dying Light: The Beast
Survival horror fans can’t denyDying Light.Playing this game in the darkis sure to give you goosebumps. However, another upcoming installment,Dying Light: The Beast,is about to make its way to enhance this thrill.
Reportedly,The Beastwas developed as part of two DLC packs thatDying Lightwas planned to get. However, the second DLC pack became too big to be a DLC, and the developer is about to bring it to fans as a separate full-length game.
2Halo 3: ODST
While making a list of games that started the journey as DLCs,Halo 3: ODSTcan’t be ignored. The game was released in 2009, but this title has an interesting backstory that players may not be aware of.
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When Bungie plannedODST, it started working on it as a smaller campaign that would be released as a DLC ofHalo 3. According to the plan, the team brought new protagonists and in-game elements, but couldn’t control the length of the game, which ultimately resulted in the full-lengthHalo 3: ODST.
1Assassin’s Creed Mirage
Assassin’s Creed Mirageis one of the popularAssassin’s Creedtitles released in 2023. If you have played this one, you would probably have positive opinions about the game. However, it was not planned as players eventually received it.
After the success ofValhalla, Ubisoft planned to create a DLC for the game and started working onMirage. However, after a certain point, the studio changed its opinion and made it a full-length game.
These are some of the renowned titles that were supposed to become DLCs but later became separate games that players either loved a lot or were willing to get.
Which of these titles were you most surprised to learn started as a DLC? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
Antara Bhattacharyya
Gaming Writer
Articles Published :97
Antara is a passionate gamer who loves trying different gaming genres, though her love for shooter games is on top. Turning her passion into a profession, she has been working as a gaming content writer for the last three years, and her love for gaming has led her to join FandomWire as a content writer and cover all her favorite games.If you don’t find her battling in the fields of Call of Duty and Fortnite, you’ll find her at the library, buried between the pages of a book.
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Assassin’s CreedDying Light: The Beastfar cry 3Grand Theft Auto: Vice CityHalohollow knightsaints rowSuper MarioUbisoftUncharted
