Is a $1200 Stimulus Check Enough When There’s $600 of DOA6 DLC?

With the recent announcement that most American adults will receive COVID-19 relief in the form of a $1200 check, many are questioning if this is really enough to get most people through such an unprecedented crisis.

While this is certainly a step in the right direction, it’s clear that $1200 will not go far enough when factoring in essential costs like food, rent, and over $600 of downloadable content for Dead Or Alive 6.

Some out of touch individuals will argue that the complete set of Dead Or Alive 6 DLC is inessential like local tournaments or rollback netcode. However, I can’t think of anything to ease the pain of lock downs and social distancing more than unlocking Helena’s Seaside Eden Costume or The Pirates Of The 7 Seas Costume Pack.

In this difficult time when barbershops and hair salons are closed, being able to pay an additional fee to change your favorite Dead Or Alive fighter’s hair is all we have left. It should go without saying that being able to change Kasumi’s hair color to “Color 8” is more important than ever.

Unfortunately for many Americans, it’s unthinkable to purchase over $600 in DLC in times like these. This is especially true when many can’t even afford the base game at $60, and instead are forced to settle for the free “Core Fighters” version of the game. I believe that no one should be subjected to the horrors of free to play fighting games, and we need to do everything we can to prevent that.

Even if you’re lucky enough to own the game, recent data has shown that millions of Americans are not covered by any online gaming service like PlayStation Plus or Xbox Live Gold. In this crisis where we’re all stuck at home, getting everyone covered by an online gaming plan is more crucial than ever. After all, what’s the point of purchasing the Hot Summer Costume pack if it can’t be used online?

While the current plan of a one time payment of $1200 will surely ease the pain of this crisis somewhat, it definitely does not go far enough in a crisis with no end in sight. For many that relief check could be used up entirely before the new version 1.22 update even releases later this month. At that point I fear that many will be forced to go without the full Dead Or Alive 6 experience, and that’s not the type of world I want to live in.