Xenoblade Chronicles 3 DLC: Expansion Pass & Content

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 had a very successful Expansion Pass, so naturally, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was also destined to have one. Nintendo recently announced the “Expansion Pass” for Xenoblade Chronicles 3, which will contain four waves of DLC. On what to expect from these DLCs, well, that is what I will be discussing in today’s guide.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Expansion Pass

• Nintendo recently announced an Expansion Pass for the latest entry in the Xenoblade Chronicles franchise.
• The Expansion Pass includes four waves of DLC, including various content like battle modes, color variation for outfits, new outfits, quests, story content, and much more.

This isn’t the first time Nintendo has had a roadmap like it from games. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and other successful Nintendo IPs like Fire Emblem had a similar map. These Expansion passes are meant to keep players coming back after they are done with the content present in the main game.

Now, the exact dates of the DLC waves are unknown except for the 1st one, but thankfully, Nintendo has given us a rough idea of when to expect the rest of the DLC waves.

In total, there are four waves of DLC. The first one is available right now for all expansion pass purchases, while the rest of the DLCs will come out somewhere between 4 and 17 months.

Nintendo has officially shared on its website what to expect from these DLCs and when the arrival of these DLCs is expected. As we move closer to each wave, their exact release dates will be revealed, too.

Wave 1

Release date: 7/29/2022

The following content is present in Wave 1:

• A collection of helpful items
• Color variations for existing outfits

While the first wave of DLC for Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was available at launch, its content was bare bones. The bundle includes Nonpon coins and a recolored outfit for the six main characters.

This is the lightest and smallest wave of DLC, which means it’s only uphill from here. There can be budget and time issues, so it’s understandable they didn’t add tons of add-ons and content in the first wave of DLC because they are already shipping a massive JRPG beside it.

Wave 2

Release date: by 12/31/2022

The content that will be present in the second wave of DLC is:

• Challenge Battle mode against difficult enemies
• A new hero character and accompanying quests
• New character outfits

The second wave introduces the Challenge Battle mode, featuring a boss rush where players face the game’s toughest enemies sequentially. This mode lets you relive key action moments without replaying the entire story and provides a platform to test your builds and skills.

Based on past entries, the Challenge Battle mode is expected to resemble its Xenoblade Chronicles 2 counterpart. Details about the new hero, quests, and character outfits remain undisclosed, but past DLC hints at adding a unique character with their own story and possibly new outfits.

While the first DLC wave included color variations, the second wave is anticipated to bring entirely new outfits. The new character’s identity and the outfits’ specifics will only be revealed over time in Xenoblade Chronicles 3.

Wave 3

Release date: by 4/30/2023

This wave of DLC contains the following content:

• Challenge Battle mode against difficult enemies
• Another hero with new quests
• More character outfits

The third wave of DLC is very similar in content to the second one. For the third wave, we expect the Challenge Battle mod to be further expanded with new gimmicks or additional move sets for the bosses. This will be great to keep the boss rush mode fresh and exciting for the fans.

Regarding the new hero and outfits, we are all in the dark until the official news is shared, so theories and speculations are what you have till then.

Wave 4

Release date: by 12/31/2023

The fourth DLC wave will contain the following:

• New original story scenario

Wave 4 will be the biggest DLC and one the fans of the series will be highly anticipating. In the main game, there was enough room for an epilogue or an expansion of events from the flashbacks players saw over the course of the main game. Still, it’s just a guess, and there is no telling what kind of story, regions, and characters will be present in the DLC.

It could be an expansion of events experienced in the main game or a new scenario with its characters.

Regarding the length, developer Genki Yokota stated that they’re considering making the story DLC of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 as enormous as the Torna-The Golden Country DLC of Xenoblade Chronicles 2. The Torna DLC took place 490 years before the main game’s events. The download size of the DLC was 3.2 GB and contained approximately 20 hours of content.

Furthermore, regarding the volume of the story DLC, Senior Director Tetsuya Takahashi stated that “We always ask ourselves if there are any other ways to achieve greater satisfaction for players, and upon exploring and devising many ideas, we ultimately decide the appropriate volume of content”. 

Price Of Xenoblade Chronicles 3’s Expansion Pass

• The Expansion Pass for Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is priced at $29.99.
• While digital copies of the base game can be purchased from a number of online retailers, that is not the case for Expansion Pass.
• Currently, the Expansion pass is almost exclusively available on the Nintendo store or eShop.

After you purchase the Expansion Pass, you can access all upcoming DLCs included in the Expansion Pass at no additional cost. Once the DLC is available, boot up the game, press ‘X’ to open the menu, and scroll down to select “Expansion Pass”. After selecting “Expansion Pass”, select a DLC pack and claim its contents.

This concludes my guide. Let us know what you expect from the DLC in the comments below.

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