If you’re into mecha games, MechWarrior 5 Clans is a treat. It may not be the flashiest experience out there, but it’s got solid combat and an engaging campaign that’s sure to win you over. Even better, it’s getting a boost with two new game modes, a fresh difficulty setting, and mech omnipods, some of which are courtesy of a free update. The real juicy additions, though, are tucked away in the premium DLC called Trials of War.
Last year, Armored Core 6 set the bar high for mech games, but MechWarrior 5 Clans has quietly emerged as a worthy contender. It might not have exploded onto the scene like Armored Core, yet it remains a robust offering for those eager for a robot-battling adventure. With new content on the horizon, fans are both hyped and frustrated.
The buzz—and the gripe—stem from the new DLC’s offerings: a five-player PvP mode boasting ten arenas and a challenging co-op horde mode. While these additions are exciting, some fans aren’t thrilled that they’re behind the Trials of War paywall. Discussions are heating up on Steam and the MechWarrior subreddit, with some players suggesting this could have been content from the main game, now rebranded as DLC, especially given its quick arrival post-launch.
Russ Bullock, the CEO of Piranha Games, has stepped forward to address these concerns. “Selling DLC is often controversial,” he acknowledges. “But we at PGI have established a positive track record by balancing paid content with significant free updates for the base game,” he explains.
And there’s a bit of consolation: Bullock notes that Trials of War incorporates DLC sharing. This means you can join friends who own the DLC for PvP or horde mode without buying it yourself. Moreover, ongoing updates will keep the DLC fresh with new maps, and any allegations of this being repurposed content are dismissed by Bullock, who insists these ideas were conceived and developed post-launch of MW5 Clans.
As someone who relishes both online multiplayer and co-op gaming, I can feel for the fans upset about essential content being tied to DLC. It could indeed make finding opponents in PvP arenas more challenging. Still, the DLC sharing feature somewhat softens this blow, and the promise of new additions over time adds more appeal.
Currently available, the Trials of War DLC offers a 20% discount until December 5. If you’re new to the game, the base version is also 20% off until December 4, or you can dive in via Microsoft’s Game Pass.
Besides the paid content, there’s a free update dropping alongside the DLC, which includes a challenging Trueborn mode, new omnipods, and several bug fixes and interface enhancements. This means all MW5 Clans players get to enjoy some fresh content at no extra charge.
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