Dead Cells' Return to Castlevania DLC adds a bevy of new content to the acclaimed roguelite, including new biomes, enemies, and outfits. Players cannot access these offerings immediately upon starting the game, though, as they must seek out the entrance to Castlevania during their runs. This guide is here to assist with that endeavor, and full details on how to start Dead Cells' Castlevania DLC can be found in what follows.
Dead Cells: How to Start Return to Castlevania DLC
The first step toward accessing Dead Cells' Return to Castlevania DLC is purchasing and installing the expansion. Indeed, this is not a free update, and players will need to visit their preferred platform's storefront to get things up and running.
Once the Return to Castlevania DLC has been installed, players must utilize a save in which they have died three times. That can be done by continuing an old save that already meets that requirement, or by starting a new save and failing three runs. Fortunately, it is very easy to die in Dead Cells, and fans should be able to fulfill this requirement quite quickly.
After a player has died three times, they should start a new run and navigate through the first rooms of the Prisoners' Quarters. As fans exit the room in which they can select their preliminary weapons in Dead Cells, a swarm of bats will fly by. This swarm acts as confirmation that it is now possible to access the Return of Castlevania DLC, and players should continue to advance through the first biome.
More specifically, players should work their way to the bottom-right corner of the Prisoners' Quarters to locate a set of stairs that lead downward. As fans descend these stairs, they will encounter Richter Belmont, a vampire hunter who is in need of help. After the conversation with this iconic Castlevania character concludes, players should continue down the stairs to reach a door leading to the DLC's first level, the Castle's Outskirts.
To note, players are advised to spend some amount of time exploring the Prisoners' Quarters before they make their way into the Castle's Outskirts. Indeed, this level can prove to be a bit difficult, and fans that enter it with upgraded stats and weapons are more likely to find success than those that do not. That said, players can certainly head directly to the Castle's Outskirts if they simply cannot wait to start experiencing the Return to Castlevania DLC.
Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania is available on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.