Standard, Deluxe or DLC: how to choose a game edition
By Andalu team · · 2 min read
A full edition, such as Standard, Deluxe or Game of the Year, is the whole game, and bigger editions add extras. An upgrade adds a bigger edition's extras to a game you already own, and DLC adds content, like an expansion or a season pass. So the question isn't which edition is best: it's what you already own, and what you want now.
Start with what you already own
- You don't own the game. Buy a full edition. Standard is the whole game, and a bigger edition adds its extras from the start.
- You own the Standard edition. Buy the extras on their own: an upgrade, if the publisher sells one for your platform, or the DLC you want. Both need the base game on the same account.
- You own it on another store. Ask us before you buy an add-on. GOG and Epic Games don't accept DLC for a game you own elsewhere, and Ubisoft warns that mixed stores might not work together.
What each name means
- Standard, Deluxe, Game of the Year. Full editions. Each redeems like the standard edition, on the same platform, and some platforms list everything the key adds as you redeem it.
- Upgrade. Adds a bigger edition's extras to the game you own, named "Upgrade", like Cities: Skylines - Deluxe Upgrade Pack.
- DLC and season passes. Add-on content. A season pass unlocks content as the publisher releases it, so some items arrive later.
- Collection or bundle. Usually several full games, or a game with its extras, not DLC.
- Multi-pack. Several copies of one game, like a 2-pack: one for you and the rest for friends.
How to check before you buy
- Read the name at the top of the game's page. A full edition names its edition.
- In the buy box, check the line next to Change. It ends with the edition you're buying.
- Scroll to How activation works. An upgrade or DLC says so there, before you buy, and a key that needs the base game says "This is add-on content".
The edition says what you get, and the platform and region say where the key works, so check all three. If the name and the note disagree, ask us before you buy. The full walkthrough, with pictures, is in What's the difference between an edition, an upgrade and DLC?
After you redeem
Upgrades and DLC don't appear as a new game. They're listed with the base game, or unlock inside it, and each platform guide shows where to find them.