The final piece of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 DLC is called Future Redeemed, and to the surprise of series fans, it arrives next week with familiar faces.
Nintendo of America decided to drop a bombshell announcement on their official Twitter page today, as they’ve announced the final piece of DLC for the critically-acclaimed Xenoblade Chronicles 3. The scenario Future Redeemed, exclusively available through wave four of the expansion pass, will feature brand new storyline elements that take place prior to the events of the main story. Check out the official trailer below:
According to Nintendo’s official synopsis, “players join a cast of new and familiar characters in an original story scenario that connects all three installments in the Xenoblade Chronicles series” in a scenario that takes place before the main scenario of Xenoblade Chronicles 3.
Longstanding fans of the series should recognize two of those familiar faces in the trailer. Shulk from Xenoblade Chronicles and Rex from Xenoblade Chronicles 2 make triumphant returns in the DLC, and they appear to have aged considerably since the events of their respective adventures. If even for a small moment, it seems both Shulk and Rex can even join the player’s party of characters as well.
In an unusual move for a series of games that has remained almost entirely self-sustained, Future Redeemed promises to tie the storyline of all three mainline titles in the Xenoblade Chronicles series together. However, there are no new characters introduced from Xenoblade Chronicles X, at least at this moment.
The Japanese Nintendo blog has provided some more glimpses at the rest of Future Redeemed‘s roster—like its new protagonist, Matthew—as well as official artwork from character designer Masatsugu Saito.
Fans have taken to the Twitter comments section underneath the announcement to share their excitement, with a similar sentiment of surprise. Nintendo previously announced the DLC would launch sometime ‘before December 2023,’ and its arrival next week is far earlier than the end of the year. YouTuber Antdude replied to the announcement with “WHAT DO YOU MEAN NEXT WEEK” in surprise.
Future Redeemed extends the Expansion Pass for Xenoblade Chronicles 3 to four total waves that can all be downloaded from the Nintendo Switch eShop itself under the umbrella Expansion Pass for $29.99. Fans anticipating the new expansion to the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 story wont have to wait long, as the new content that features beloved characters from the previous entries arrives on April 25.
Beyond the news of Future Redeemed wrapping up the DLC pass, Nintendo also announced the Pyra + Mythra amiibo 2-pack will launch on Friday, July 21—just shy of the game’s first anniversary. While these figures were announced as part of the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate line, Nintendo confirmed they’ll also have functionality in Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Players can scan them to change the look of the sword for Noah’s Swordfighter class, matching the characters’ respective versions of the Aegis Sword.
These will be among the final figures in the Smash series, but they won’t be the last Xenoblade amiibo—Xenoblade Chronicles 3 protagonists Noah and Mio were also announced, though their usage has not yet been confirmed.
