Shovel Knight Just Announced The Most Bizarre DLC
Sometimes a DLC comes along that just makes you question all of reality as you know it. And sometimes that world-altering DLC comes from a cute pixelated adventurer and a purveyor of roast beef sandwiches. Arby's and Yacht Club Games have just announced the unlikeliest collaboration ever. For a limited time, Arby's Kids Meals will include "Launch Tokens," which unlock various DLC for Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove on Nintendo Switch and Steam. While it's not clear how different or extensive these DLC will be, it looks like each of the characters in the game will get their own Arby's-themed costume skin.
If the trailer announcing the new collab is any indication, the Shovel Knight himself appears to be just as surprised as the fans. The video begins with the Knight making his way across a forest terrain, only to be stopped in his tracks by the appearance of a pixelated roast beef sandwich. The trailer then shifts to gameplay, showing Shovel Knight defeating a series of attacking sandwiches and bouncing off of floating soda cups. There are multiple sightings of little sandwiches with wings, which flutter around the player character. Also, carryout Arby's bags can be destroyed like greasy treasure chests, revealing the loot within. Yes, it's exactly as bizarre as you imagine it is. Shovel Knight is a great game that you can finish in one sitting, but the addition of fast food-themed peril may convince some gamers to give it another playthrough.
The fan reaction to the collaboration has been all over the map. Some gamers are so excited for the exclusive DLC that they are vowing to eat at an Arby's for the very first time. Others seem to be amused by the fact that the character of Plague Knight has been renamed to "Doctor Knight" for this promotion. Given that this is a promotion aimed at kids and there's a very real pandemic still happening, fans have surmised that the temporary retitle is probably for the best.
The worlds of fast food and video gaming have naturally crossed over several times in the past. Last year, KFC and Cooler Master announced the existence of the KFConsole, a gaming system that also heated your chicken (for real). In the mid-2000s, Burger King released a line of Xbox games with its kids meals, including Sneak King, a poorly reviewed stealth game that players on Metacritic apparently liked more than Cyberpunk 2077.