13 mobile suits, baby
Gundam Versus released on Friday and, as was partly expected, Namco also released part of the DLC without a word. To make matters worse, each DLC page only uses generic terms to describe what each downloadable suit comes with, and in some cases is wrong about what content is exclusive to which character. For the sake of your wallet and time, we’ll be going through exactly what each mobile suit comes with, along with showing the two leaked ones.
Keep your wallet secured, as we have a lot of DLC to go through.
So, as of this writing, every mobile suit available as a separate purchase will come with at least the following by default: the mobile suit itself, said mobile suit as a striker/assist, and three titles. They also come with a pilot, however there’s no guarantee it’s a new pilot and, since there’s little to no subtitles, they may as well be a glorified sound effect pack.
However, some of the DLC mobile suits can act as alternate unlock methods for already-included content such as strikers, but you’ll still have to work for it. Every available mobile suit currently runs a standard 5 USD, with no option for a cheaper bundle or season pass as of yet.
We’re going to break the DLC down into chunks, based on their Japanese release date, to make things a bit more digestible.
Pre-order bonus DLC
Available at time of writing?: Yes and No.
- Hot Scramble Gundam
- Gundam Virtue
- Gundam Barbatos Lupus
All three of these mobile suits were bonuses for those that pre-ordered the game, both in Japan and internationally. They only include the bare minimum content. However, it should be noted that Gundam Virtue can purge its armor to turn into Gundam Nadleeh during a match, so it could be viewed as two characters in one, like Samus in Smash Bros Brawl.
In terms of unlocking content in the base game, Gundam Virtue can be used to unlock the three other Celestial Being Gundam strikers, an emblem, and a navigator. Hot Scramble can be used to unlock Nu Gundam and Zeta Gundam as strikers. Barbatos Lupus cannot unlock any content other than an emblem.
However, Hot Scramble is not available on its own. It was exclusively pre-order only, at least for North America. If you had hopped on PSN yesterday, you could have grabbed it for free, even if you didn’t have the game. There is a good chance it will never be available again, as even Japan is unable to purchase it separately.
August DLC
Available at time of writing?: Yes
For the month of August, everyone is just as barebones for exclusive content. While the Baund Doc is the only mobile suit that allows Rosamia Badam from Zeta Gundam to be used as a pilot, due to the lack of subs, her value is minimal to nothing. However, G-Self (Perfect Pack) does include an exclusive navigator who is fully subtitled. While it doesn’t affect gameplay, it is something worth considering if you liked the navigator feature of Persona 4 Arena and how it works in Gundam Versus.
In terms of unlocking content in game, every mobile suit from this month (except Pale Rider) can act as an alternative unlock method for 1 to 3 strikers. In addition, only Perfect Strike and Pale Rider cannot unlock an emblem.
On a separate note, if you do your homework before buying, you will find a lot of videos, posts and tier lists saying Pale Rider and Gusion Rebake are two of the worst characters in the game. A lot of those tier lists are about to become outdated, as a patch scheduled for October 3 will be providing a lot of buffs to the weaker cast members.
September DLC
Available at time of writing?: No
Sadly, the best DLC set is not out internationally, despite releasing in Japan on September 26. While Phantom Gundam is barebones, Nightingale and Gundam AGE-1 come with some extras. Nightingale will be coming with a second striker, the Pscyo Geara Doga, while AGE-1 will include a total of 5 strikers, an emblem, and music from Gudam AGE.
In terms of unlocking content from the base game, only Nightingale can do that, acting as an alternate method for the Sazabi striker and an emblem. Phantom and AGE-1 are the first ones from their respective series in the game, and as such are unable to act as alternate unlock routes. It’s unclear if future DLC for characters from Gundam AGE will share any of the strikers that came with AGE-1.
Of the three however, Phantom Gundam is a interesting case. It marks the first time anything from Crossbone Gundam: Ghost has appeared outside of the manga, let alone outside of Japan. There’s not even a model kit for it, that’s how niche it is. If you’re interested in more new series and characters for the game, or to show support for Crossbone: Ghost being in future games, it would be worth considering putting 5 USD down for Phantom Gundam.
Leaked DLC
Credit to reddit user hericbss for the image
When international fans booted up their versions of the game for the first time, they were treated to a lovely surprise. Not only did the character select screen show all DLC to date, both released and unreleased, but it also showed previously unannounced content: the Alvaaron from Gundam 00, and Buster Gundam from Gundam SEED. Of the two, Alvaaron is already in the game to a degree, as it acts as the second stage for the Alvatore boss fight. If it is released at the price of 5 USD with the bare minimum, then Namco is trying to scam you.
With that, that’s all the current DLC covered for Gundam Versus. Remember that with a base roster of 90+ characters, the impact of the DLC is smaller, and you should consider whether you really need more at 5 USD per character. In addition, the DLC train is likely nowhere close to stopping, and this series has a history of “super” versions, so please heavily consider if you’re OK with that possibility, before spending money on more characters. Better to be careful now than to regret all the money you spent a year or two down the road.
