Editions, DLC and season passes: what you are actually buying

Search for a popular game in our catalogue and you will often see it several times: a Standard Edition, a Deluxe Edition, an expansion, a season pass, sometimes a soundtrack. They can look almost identical in a list, and the price difference is not always a reliable guide to what is included. This article explains the usual patterns so you can tell them apart.

Editions of the same game

An edition is the base game, sometimes bundled with extra content. Publishers name them differently, but the pattern is fairly consistent:

• Standard Edition is the base game on its own.
• Deluxe, Gold or Premium Edition is the base game plus a set of extras. These might be cosmetic items, a season pass, early access, or one or two expansions.
• Ultimate or Complete Edition usually bundles the base game with all, or most, of the extra content released so far.
• Game of the Year (GOTY) Edition is typically released a year or more after launch and includes the base game with the expansions released up to that point.

The exact contents vary from game to game, and a Deluxe Edition of one game can include far more than the Ultimate Edition of another. Our product pages carry the name of the edition, but not a full contents list. Check the game's page on the platform's own store, where each edition lists exactly what it includes.

DLC and expansions

Downloadable content (DLC) adds something to a game you already own: a new story, maps, characters or items. DLC needs the base game on the same platform and the same account. The one exception is a standalone expansion, which runs on its own and says so in its title or store description. A Steam DLC key will not work if the base game is in your Epic library, and a PlayStation add-on needs the game on the same PlayStation account.

If you try to activate DLC without the base game, most platforms refuse it with a message saying another product is required. Nothing is lost, and the code stays valid. Activate or buy the base game first, then try again.

Season passes

A season pass is a promise of future content. You pay once, and each piece of DLC it covers is added to your account as it is released. A season pass bought late in a game's life may have nothing left to come, in which case it simply adds the content that has already been released. Check the store page to see what it covers.

Upgrade packs

Some games sell an upgrade that turns a Standard Edition you already own into a Deluxe or Ultimate one. If you own the base game and want the extras, an upgrade is usually cheaper than buying the bigger edition outright, and it avoids paying for a second copy of the game.

Avoid buying the same thing twice

Platforms handle overlap differently. On some, a bundle that contains a game you already own still activates and adds only the parts you are missing. On others, the code is accepted but you have effectively paid again for content you already had. Before buying a larger edition of a game you own, look for an upgrade pack or the individual DLC instead.

Console generation and cross-buy

Some console listings cover one generation only, for example a PS4 version that can be played on a PS5 but does not include the PS5 version. Others include both. When it matters, check the console store's page for the game before you buy.

In short

1. Decide which platform you play on.
2. Decide which edition you want, using the platform store's list of contents.
3. If it is DLC, check you own the base game on the same platform and account.
4. Check the activation notice next to the price.

Our checklist before you buy puts all of this in one place.