Paradox Interactive is revising its DLC plans for The Chinese Room’s upcoming title after facing backlash for locking clans behind a $30 paywall.
Over the weekend, Paradox announced that pre-orders for Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 placed via the PlayStation Store will be refunded. Customers will need to renew their pre-orders once planned adjustments to the game and its pricing are implemented. The move is in response to widespread criticism over gating core content behind a $30 DLC, a misstep following a lengthy and complicated development process involving two studios.
“Anyone who pre-ordered the Premium Edition through the PlayStation Store will be contacted and refunded starting Monday, September 8. You will be able to preorder your copy of the Premium Edition again later, before the October 21 release. Please note that this is the first intentional step in our planned course of action leading up to September 17 to deliver the best possible experience for you at launch,” a Paradox representative wrote on the game’s subreddit.
This situation is likely limited to the PlayStation Store, as Sony does not allow partial refunds tied to price changes. As a result, Paradox has to cancel pre-orders entirely, requiring customers to place them again at the updated price. Steam, by contrast, allows for partial or full refunds for canceled or delayed DLC, meaning Steam pre-order customers can simply be refunded the difference between the old and new pricing.
The refund on PlayStation Store is the latest development following Paradox’s August announcement that two of the six playable clans in the game would be sold as separate DLC on top of the base price. The idea provoked strong pushback, since clans in Vampire: The Masquerade essentially combine races and character classes, and the first installment offered seven from the start. Last week, Paradox confirmed it would adjust its approach in response to the criticism, though details won’t be revealed until September 17.
In the best-case scenario, Paradox could roll back its decision entirely by including all clans in the $60 base game and lowering the Premium Edition’s price to reflect its diminished value. A simpler price cut while leaving two clans as DLC is also possible, though far less appealing.
Source: PCGamer
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