Resident Evil 4 Remake - How To Unlock The Mercenaries Mode

The "Resident Evil 4" remake introduced a ton of changes to the horror survival classic. Not only does the game feature some much-needed quality-of-life changes, but it also revamped one of the original game's classic modes. Hardcore fans will recognize this revamped game mode as The Mercenaries.

The Mercenaries was a mode in the original game that pit players against hordes of enemies with the sole objective of surviving until a rescue chopper arrived. Because each kill awarded the player points, the game mode was the perfect place to show off a player's zombie-killing skill with a high score. And fans will remember that Leon wasn't the only one to have all the fun. Famously, gamers could take control of the rest of the "Resident Evil 4" cast in this mode.

In the original game, The Mercenaries mode only became available after the player finished the game. However, when fans made it to the end of the remake, they noticed the mode was not unlocked. That's because the game mode was not available at launch. Instead, Capcom announced it would add The Mercenaries as a free DLC at a later date. The release date is finally here, so how can players unlock this mode?

Unlike in the original game, players do not need to beat the game to gain access to The Mercenaries mode. Instead, all players must do is update their copy of "Resident Evil 4" and download the free "The Mercenaries" DLC from their respective digital games store. Then, from the main menu, select The Mercenaries mode to get straight into the action. The game will pop up a warning recommending gamers to finish the title before they start The Mercenaries mode, but players can skip past this message.

This mode is definitely worth playing through, even if players haven't finished the game — especially since it offers the incredibly powerful Handcannon gun as a reward for getting an S rank with one character. Unfortunately, however, upon booting up the mode, players will notice that two characters from the original game are missing — Ada Wong and Albert Wesker — but that's not the only disappointment that has fans chattering.

The Mercenaries mode update also introduced microtransactions to "Resident Evil 4." Players can now purchase Upgrade Tickets, a DLC item that upgrades a selected weapon in exchange for real-world money. This new item has "Resident Evil" fans split. Still, The Mercenaries mode brought enough free content to keep many gamers busy for days or weeks, distracting them from those pesky microtransactions.