Dr. Malikov and The Grims didn’t just have a part in Resistance 2’s campaign—you could also assume the role of these characters on the game’s competitive multiplayer battlefields. Well, that’s if you pre-ordered R2 at select U.S. retailers and received one of the bonus multiplayer skins.

Over the last few months we’ve received a number of e-mails from Resistance fans here and around the globe requesting these exclusive skins. So starting today both will be available for download through the PlayStation Store for free (releasing on June 11 in Europe)!

And speaking of adding to your Resistance collection, we’ve also seen quite a few franchise-related items come out since R2’s release. Here’s a quick refresher for you:

• The comic book series: Wildstorm (a division of DC Comics) has published a six-part miniseries that revealed all-new details about the Resistance universe, which included an in-depth look at the Sentinels and touched upon aspects of the Retribution storyline. Issue #6 just hit store shelves last week.



• The novel: Ever wonder what exactly happened during the two-year gap that separates the first two levels of R2? Acclaimed science-fiction author William Dietz tells that story in Resistance: The Gathering Storm, which is available now.



• The t-shirt: With the weather starting to heat up, here’s the perfect addition to your gaming wardrobe. You can find this t-shirt at your local Hot Topic and its online store.

More is also on the way, including Resistance action figures from DC Unlimited. Lt. Nathan Hale, the Ravager, and other characters from the franchise will be available this September.

The DLC comes in two forms: new competitive multiplayer maps and character skins. The Aftermath Map Pack features three new battlefields, two set in Twin Falls (Aftermath and Pit Stop) and another in Orick (Outpost). All of the maps support 20-player Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch, while Outpost also lets you play 20-player Core Control. The Aftermath Map Pack will be available for download through the PlayStation Store for $5.99.

We also have six new competitive multiplayer character skins. In addition to our usual band of brothers (of the human, Cloven, and Chimeran variety), we even have two selections for our female R2 players. You can download the following skins through the PlayStation Store for $0.99 each: Rachael Parker, Female Soldier, Ravager, Cloven (Retribution model), Ranger Variation, and Black Ops Variation.

Then we have patch 1.50, or what some on the MyResistance.net forums have been calling the “the big patch.” And it definitely lives up to that nickname—it’s quite substantial. Once you install the patch (the download prompt will come up automatically once you start R2), you’ll now be treated to:

Meltdown Mode: We’ve read the message-board comments. We’ve seen the online petition. You want it? You got it! Patch 1.50 brings back Meltdown, the popular Resistance: Fall of Man multiplayer mode in which each team attempts to gain control of the map by capturing beacons.

Superhuman Co-op Mode: Does your eight-man Specter squad possess the skills to survive this all-new difficulty? It features stronger enemies and disables auto-respawning (only another squadmate can revive you), but dishes out bigger rewards (double the Grey Tech and XP per round).

Second PSN Login Support: Your fellow couch potato can now save their character’s multiplayer progress, thanks to the added option to log in with two unique PSN accounts.

But that’s really just the beginning of patch 1.50’s offerings:

• XP balance adjustments for competitive mode
• Announcements screen
• Failsafe save support
• Password protected custom games
• Added ability to “Report” player
• Teams switch sides between Core Control rounds
• Players now automatically go to staging after every competitive or cooperative game (regame)
• Localization updates
• Various stat fixes
• Collision fixes on Bryce Canyon and Holar Tower cooperative levels
• New leaderboards
• Map fixes for competitive Chicago level
• Games with Friends and Clan members in them are now highlighted in the “Find Game” screen
• Limited late joining has been added to ranked games
• Deathmatch spawning has been improved
• Players can’t earn progress towards Berserks when they are dead
• Reduced sprint speed of core carrier in Core Control games
• Cooperative XP bonuses have been increased by 30%
• Cooperative games respawn time is now 20 seconds
• Players keep their grenades if they get revived in a cooperative game
• Players now have a “Join Game” option for players on their friends list
• A player’s own name is now in white in the obituary text

New Medals:

• Savant – Come in first place 30 times in ranked matches (Comp)
• Hero – Come in first place 60 times in ranked matches (Comp)
• Legend – Come in first place 100 times in ranked matches (Comp)
• Tools of Destruction – Score 100 kills with every single weapon (Comp)
• Master Strategist – Score 100 kills with full health (Comp)
• Arch Rival – Kill 500 rival squad members (Comp)
• Full Honors – Take each class to max level (Coop)
• Prophet – Revive 500 players (Coop)
• Secret Agent – Obtain all spec ops upgrades (Coop)
• Surgeon General – Obtain all medic upgrades (Coop)
• Specter Elite – Obtain all soldier upgrades (Coop)
• Like a Surgeon – 100 Splicer Kills (Comp)
• Shake N’ Bake – 100 Pulse Cannon Kills (Comp)

New Ribbons:

• Quickdraw – Get the first kill of the round (Comp)
• Manic Medic – Heal for 1000 points within 3 seconds (Coop)
• Solid Solider – Absorb 500 points of damage within a few seconds with your force barrier (Global)
• Specter Survivor – Survive an objective without dying (Coop)
• Specter Medic – Revive 2 or more allies within a few seconds (Coop)
• Hail Mary – Throw ammo and hit your target from at least 10 meters away (Coop)
• Quick and Painless – Score 3 headshots kills in a row (Global)

If you have any questions concerning the DLC and patch 1.50, you can find us on the MyResistance.net forums.

Starting today, you can now download all three R2 cover options from the PlayStation Blog. It’s easy: Simply click on the cover of your liking, download the high-res image (click on “All Sizes” above the pic, and then select “Original” size), find yourself a quality color printer, and PRESTO CHANGO—you have a new R2 cover!

That’s it for now, but like always, keep checking back to the PlayStation.Blog and MyResistance.net for future R2 updates.