Vampire Survivors’ Upcoming DLC Has the Castlevania Dam Ready to Burst

Vampire Survivors' Upcoming DLC Has the Castlevania Dam Ready to Burst

As a seasoned gamer with over two decades of gaming under my belt, I must admit that the recent collaboration between Vampire Survivors and Castlevania has sent a thrill down my spine. I remember playing Castlevania on my NES back in the day, battling Dracula, and now here we are, seeing a resurgence of this iconic franchise.


As a die-hard fan, I can’t help but share my excitement about the latest collaborations in my favorite indie game, Vampire Survivors! Over the past few months, it’s been an absolute treat to see this gem partner with some iconic franchises. Towards the end of last year, we were graced with the paid Among Us-themed expansion titled “Emergency Meeting.” This DLC introduced a whopping 15 new weapons, a stage inspired by Polus, and 8 distinctly colored Crewmates for players to choose from. The expansion also brought in a horse, adding a touch of mystery to the game. More recently, developer poncle unveiled the Operation Guns expansion, which introduced characters from Konami’s legendary Contra series, along with an array of weapons and maps. It’s been an incredible journey so far, and I can’t wait to see what other surprises are in store for us fans!

It appears that the joint venture named Operation Guns has proven to be profitable for both Konami and poncle, as evidenced by their decision to collaborate on another expansion for the game Vampire Survivors. Lately, these companies have announced a crossover DLC with the Castlevania series, dubbed Ode to Castlevania, which is set to launch on October 31. This significant downloadable content is their largest yet, offering more than 20 legendary characters from Simon Belmont to Maria Renard, as well as over 40 new weapons, 30+ musical tracks, and a massive stage teeming with secrets to discover and bosses to conquer. While the Ode to Castlevania expansion sounds intriguing, what’s particularly exciting about this latest addition to Vampire Survivors is the potential implications it may have for the future of the Castlevania franchise.

Vampire Survivors’ Next DLC Could Be a Good Sign for the Future of Castlevania

Vampire Survivors’ Upcoming Expansion is Only the Latest in a String of Castlevania Collaborations

Recently, the popular game series, Castlevania, has been less active but has partnered with various games recently. One of these collaborations includes Vampire Survivors. Previously, in 2023, Konami teamed up with French developer Motion Twin to create a DLC for Dead Cells named Return to Castlevania. This expansion featured a new narrative focusing on characters from the Castlevania series within the 2018 roguelike setting of Dead Cells. Earlier this year, two other games also received collaborations with Castlevania – the isometric action RPG V Rising and the multiplayer game Dead by Daylight.

Konami Has Released Several Castlevania Collections in the Last Few Years

Apart from these intertwining series, Konami has managed to keep the Castlevania series contemporary by offering video game collections. The first of these bundles was released in 2018, known as Castlevania Requiem, which was exclusively available on the PS4 and included remastered versions of Rondo of Blood and Symphony of the Night. A year later, several Castlevania games from the NES and SNES era were made accessible on modern platforms through the Castlevania Anniversary Collection. In 2021, Konami launched the Castlevania Advance Collection, followed by the Castlevania Dominus Collection in 2024. These subsequent collections were available not only on PlayStation but also on Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

Konami’s Willingness to Keep Castlevania Active Suggests That a New Game in the Series May Be in the Works

Based on the volume of Castlevania-themed material Konami has put out lately, it appears they are preparing to rejuvenate the series in the coming years with a fresh main installment. It’s worth noting that the last home console Castlevania game, Castlevania: Lords of Shadows 2, was published more than a decade ago, so a comeback for this franchise is well overdue. Given the recent collections and crossover DLCs, it seems unusual if Konami didn’t plan to launch a new AAA Castlevania game eventually, given that they have revived their other significant franchises like Metal Gear, Silent Hill, and Contra as well.

2021 was wrapping up and whispers about the possible resurrection of the legendary game series, Castlevania, were circulating from Konami’s in-house studios. Truth be told, so far, nothing substantial has materialized, but given Konami’s recent focus on AAA gaming development, it wouldn’t shock me if those rumors turned out to be true eventually. In fact, they’ve already dropped Castlevania crossover DLCs for three games this year alone, with Vampire Survivors being one of them! If Konami is indeed brewing a new Castlevania game, I sincerely hope we get a sneak peek at The Game Awards coming up later in the year.

Read More

2024-10-24 16:05