Especially during the busier gaming seasons, time is of the essence, and most DLC is often a big ask when brand-new games are on the horizon. There are definitely DLC worth returning to, though, but managing a bunch of games no doubt puts some of these on backlogs. For the best of the best though, these 10 video game DLCs, listed below in no particular order, are absolutely worth checking out.

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Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s Forgotten Saga DLC

Since its launch in 2020, Ubisoft has seen the release of several DLCs for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, including the recently-released Last Chapter that brought the game to its proper conclusion. The Last Chapter DLC was a little underwhelming, though, but for fans who needed new gameplay and excitement in AC Valhalla, the Forgotten Saga offered exactly that in August. It is a more mythology-based DLC, which easily means fans were split, but it’s undeniably fun and packed with content. Odin ends up in a never-ending loop (read: roguelike gameplay) during his quest to save his son, Baldr. This gives players new locations to explore, a new skill tree for Odin himself, a new outfit system, and overall, an unforgettable experience.

Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course

Since its initial reveal, Cuphead’s Delicious Last Course (DLC) has easily been one of the most anticipated add-ons to a game in recent years. Cuphead and Mugman are joined by Ms. Chalice for a new adventure through Inkwell Isle, as they help Chef Saltbaker uncover the Legendary Chalice’s secret quests. New weapons, charms, and Ms. Chalice’s abilities (who is a playable character throughout the DLC as well as the base game once unlocked) ensure players will be able to make the most of the new story, challenges, and bosses–old and new. It was hotly anticipated and didn’t let fans down, revitalizing the beloved indie once more in 2022.

Dead Cells: The Queen and The Sea

Dead Cells’ The Queen and The Sea DLC is the definition of quantity and quality within the game, as this expansion add an optional new side route through the game’s endings. Through it, players will face new two new enemies and bosses and unlock a special ending as a result. On top of this, players will encounter three new biomes, ten new items, two new keys, fifteen new items, and for completionists in love with achievements, seventeen new ones to unlock. Dead Cells’ The Queen and The Sea gives players plenty of reasons to come back, and they’ll certainly be glad they did.

Destiny 2: Witch Queen Expansion

After seasons of teasing Savathun’s influence on the Last City, players finally came face to face with her in Destiny 2: The Witch Queen. The expansion added new content such as missions, a location in Savathun’s Throne World, new gears, exotics, and a raid. Not only is Savathun’s influence felt before the release of The Witch Queen, but also throughout the seasons that followed. In particular, The Witch Queen is hailed as a much better expansion than Shadowkeep and Beyond Light, with it setting a high bar for the upcoming Lightfall 2023 expansion as well.

Forza Horizon 5: Hot Wheels DLC

Destiny 2: The Witch Queen represents a complex expansion of a beloved game, but not all great DLC is as convoluted. Forza Horizon 5’s Hot Wheels DLC is pretty much proof of that. Its name says it all, as this adds some extreme tracks based on Hot Wheels pieces, the ability to create unique Hot Wheels tracks with 80 snappable pieces, and 10 new cars such as the 2021 Hennessey Venom F5 and the 2000 Hot Wheels Deora II. It may be short and sweet, but the fun factor is through the roof—perhaps even elevated above Hot Wheels in real life.

Lost Judgment’s Kaito Files

In Lost Judgment’s Kaito Files, players take on the role of the titular character instead of the detective, Yagami. On his own, Kaito begins a new case set after the events of Lost Judgment, involving someone claiming to be his son and the disappearance of Mikiko. As Kaito, players have new detective abilities called Primal Focus, and Kaito has two beastly fighting styles (Bruiser and Tank) that are unlike Yagami’s own. Complete with all-new bosses, collectibles, and more, Kaito Files is as good as any DLC within the larger Like a Dragon framework (of which the Judgment series is a spin-off).

Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak

Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak is a huge expansion for the beloved base game, complete with a plethora of continued updates since its launch earlier this year. The core of it added 13 returning monsters to the game, as well as four brand new ones including the flagship Elder Dragon, Malzeno. New areas include the lush Jungle location, the dilapidated Citadel, and a new capital in Elgado Outpost. While that’s more than enough, there were plenty of other additions that catapulted one of the best games of last year as one of the best games this year, as complemented by this ambitious DLC.

Nobody Saves the World Frozen Hearth DLC

Nobody Saves the World’s Frozen Hearth is relatively short and sweet, but it’s definitely a matter of quality over quantity. It adds new content like additional story and challenge rooms, but the big change is the new Killer Bee and Mechanic forms. Experimenting with these is a lot of fun, and over time, players will be able to master them. It may just be a handful of hours, but the addictive gameplay of these forms and challenge Rooms could see fans returning quite often.

Resident Evil Village’s Shadows of Rose DLC

A DLC with a strong story is going to bring back players, even in (or especially in) single-player games. With the Shadows of Rose DLC, Resident Evil Village players return to the game with new events unfolding 15 years later. Rose enters the Megamycete, part of her seeking to understand the powers she inherited from her father Ethan and the other part wishing to be rid of them. Complete with new abilities, new enemies, and a touching new story, Shadows of Rose is a perfect complement to the base game’s narrative.

World of Warcraft: Dragonflight

A new expansion for World of Warcraft is always a big deal, and even though it hasn’t been out as long as other DLCs on this list, Dragonflight has clearly, already made its mark. Taking players to the new Dragon Isles continent, players must deal with the Dragon Aspects who return to the Isles, which were once sealed away by Titans. It includes tons of new content for players to discover, including but not limited to, a new level cap, new dungeons, new raids, new class and race (the Dracthyr Evoker), dragon riding, and much, much more.

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