Dead or Alive 6 revises controversial paid hair color DLC

Give it the brush off

Koei Tecmo was the subject of merciless ridicule late last month, when the publisher revealed a new “paid hair colour alteration” mechanic for its fighting-game-cum-shopping mall Dead or Alive 6. In the wake of said controversy, Koei Tecmo has announced an incoming patch that will revise the way the customisation system works.

As of Version 1.21a – which launches on March 31 – players who wish to purchase a new colour for their favourite character’s bouffant will now permanently unlock all 16 colours for that particular style. E.g. if a player purchases colour change DLC for Marie Rose’s “Long” style, then they will permanently receive all 16 colours for that style, to be changed back and forth at will. In addition, all Premium Tickets that have been spent on hair colour to date will be refunded, and all hair colours returned to their default mode across the board.

This is obviously much better than the original plan but, when all is said and done, Dead or Alive 6 is still asking players to spend real money to change a character’s hair colour. And even if you now get “all 16 colours permanently” it’s still on a style-by-style/character-by-character basis. It may only be a dollar or two a pop, but somehow that pithy price makes it feel even more egregious and miserly.

There is no paid way of doing this correctly. If KT wishes to implement a hair colour change option, then the only non-laughable choice is to allow people to change all characters’ hair colours, whenever they want, for free. Hair colour is perhaps the single most rudimentary customisation option in a video game. Just do it gratis, or not at all.

Dead or Alive 6 is available now on PS4, PC, and Xbox One.

Update for our fighters. #DOA6 #DEADORALIVE6 pic.twitter.com/gSd3Mo4bFH

— Official DEAD OR ALIVE Fighting Game (@DOATEC_OFFICIAL) March 26, 2020