GamesActionVampire SurvivorsAfter 37 years, the best weapon in video game history gets a new life in Vampire SurvivorsWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesActionVampire SurvivorsAfter 37 years, the best weapon in video game history gets a new life in Vampire SurvivorsWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Poncle)

Vampire Survivors is getting another DLC pack next week, this time bringing a crossover with Contra,Konami’s classic shooter series. It wouldn’t be a Contra mashup without the iconic Spread Shot, and developer Poncle has just revealed a bit about how the weapon will work in the indie smash.
As in proper Contra, Vampire Survivors' take on the Spread Shot “fires in a wide spread in the faced direction,” as Poncle explains in atweet. Paired with the Empty Tome, it’ll eventually evolve into something called the Prototype C. There’s no clear indication of what that is, but you can be sure it’ll be exactly the kind of monster-melting power-up that makes the flurry of fireworks at the end of a round of Vampire Survivors so satisfying.
Introducing 4 new weapons from our upcoming DLC, Operation Guns! 🔫 There will be 22 in total!Tap to expand for more info 💥 pic.twitter.com/5WKzc5w0rcMay 2, 2024
Introducing 4 new weapons from our upcoming DLC, Operation Guns! 🔫 There will be 22 in total!Tap to expand for more info 💥 pic.twitter.com/5WKzc5w0rcMay 2, 2024
If you’ve ever played Contra - either the 1987 arcade original or the beloved 1988 NES version - you already know that the Spread Shot is the best weapon in video game history. In an infamously challenging run-and-gun platformer, it turns out that it’s pretty helpful to have a gun that can fire a spread of bullets to cover just about the entire screen, and there’s no greater gaming heartbreak than losing out on the weapon to either a needless death or a greedy co-op partner.
The Spread Shot joins the Vampire Survivors arsenal on May 9 as part of the Operation Guns DLC, which includes a total of 22 new weapons alongside a selection of new characters and stages to explore. Vampire Survivors remains one of the most entertaining things $5 can buy, and its uber-cheap DLC hasn’t disappointed yet.
Check out our guide to theupcoming indie gamesof 2024 if you want a heads up on gaming’s next hidden gem.
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GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2
Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
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Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2
Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3
Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5
Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1
Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2
Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3
Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”