Let the obsession begin again (pic: Capcom)

It won’t be a long wait until the Resident Evil 4 remake adds the much loved Mercenaries mode, as Capcom celebrate the main game’s launch.

The Resident Evil 4 remake is out today and while it’s a pretty flawless update of the classic original there is one thing missing: The Mercenaries mode. It was always promised as free DLC but since there’s been little info on it so far the assumption was that it wouldn’t be out for a while, but that’s not the case.

Capcom has announced that The Mercenaries mode will be released as a free download on April 7, just two weeks from now.

There hasn’t been any kind of detailed announcement, just the date added on to the end of the game’s launch trailer, but given how beloved the mode is that’s all you need to know.

The Mercenaries mode started in Resident Evil 3 and has appeared in multiple Resident Evil games, including Village. However, it’s the Resident Evil 4 incarnation which has always been by far the most popular.

It’s a very simple concept; essentially a time attack mode using sections of various parts of the story campaign’s maps. The goal is to kill as many enemies, and rack up as many points, as possible before the time ends and you’re evacuated by helicopter.

The reason it was so popular is simply because Resident Evil 4’s combat, and the way it orchestrates large crowds of enemies, is so enjoyable – with combos being vitally important.

There was always lots of unlockables, including multiple different characters, and we’re sure Capcom will lean into that even more in the remake. However, it remains to be seen whether the remake’s relatively standard combat system – as opposed to the original’s limitation that you can’t move and shoot – will lessen the fun.

The Mercenaries mode is not the only content missing from the remake. The GameCube original included a short side story called Assignment: Ada, where you get to play as Ada Wong, but it’s not in the main game (unless it’s an unlockable we somehow missed).

Given it’s short length you might imagine that will also be free DLC but the PlayStation 2 version of the game introduced a much longer mission with Ada called Separate Ways.

That’s definitely not in the game but while Capcom has never mentioned it many assume it will eventually be released as paid-for DLC, although when that might happen is a mystery.

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It won’t be a long wait until the Resident Evil 4 remake adds the much loved Mercenaries mode, as Capcom celebrate the main game’s launch.