Oculus has announced that the fan-favorite Mercenaries mode will be making its way to Resident Evil 4 VR, their reimagined version of the 2005 classic, as a free update sometime in 2022. The return of the mode was announced via a press release by Oculus alongside a brand new trailer uploaded to Oculus' official YouTube channel.
Mercenaries made its debut in Resident Evil 3: Nemesis back in 1999 and has been a staple of the series ever since, with Resident Evil 7 and both the Resident Evil 2 Remake and the Resident Evil 3 Remake being the only mainline entries in the series to not include the mode since its introduction. The game mode has seen some change between entries, but at its core, it is an arcade-style mode that tasks players with getting a high score by killing enemies while under a time limit. The mode was an unlockable that players received for beating the original game. Along with Mercenaries, Resident Evil 4 VR had a notable absence of a number of additional modes that are found in other versions of the game, such as the Ada Wong campaigns Separate Ways and Operation: Ada.
Along with the Mercenaries Mode, the game will also see more mobility and comfort settings will also be included in the 2022 free update. These new additions include hand-based steering, improved left-handed controls, and the option to fine-tune the location of your chest and waist inventory slots.
This announcement comes after the mode was leaked over the weekend as the trailer for the returning mode mentioned above was accidentally uploaded to the Oculus channel early. The video was made private, but not before Biohazard Declassified was able to take the video and post it themselves. Now, the announcement trailer is back up on the Oculus channel to formally announce the return of the fan-favorite mode.
Resident Evil 4 VR is the only version of the game that currently does not have the popular Mercenaries Mode, with this update rectifying that exclusion. Despite these missing bonus modes, the game has seen both commercial and critical success, having recently been nominated for "Best VR/AR Game" at the 2021 Game Awards and the same press release that announced the return of the Mercenaries Mode stated that Resident Evil 4 VR was the "fastest-selling app in the history of Quest."
Mercenaries Mode will be provided as a free update to Resident Evil 4 VR sometime in 2022. You can watch the official announcement trailer for the return of the popular bonus mode down below.