In an Active Time Report event on Wednesday, Final Fantasy XV director Hajime Tabata announced his team will continue to make DLC for the game throughout 2018. The most eye-catching update planned? Episode Ardyn, which will focus on the game’s primary antagonist.
Tabata didn’t reveal a release date or any story specifics about Episode Ardyn during the event, so it’s not clear yet whether his episode will take place before or during FFXV’s main story. (He’s immortal, after all, so there’s a whole lot of time to work with.) We know Ardyn has a longstanding bone to pick against Noctis’ family line, given that he was once meant to be the first king of Lucis. It’s likely Ardyn’s DLC will show us more about that relationship, while also delving a bit more deeply into the Starscourge and its origins. Siliconera reports that Episode Ardyn will also flesh out the history of Eos, the world in which FFXV takes place.
So what other content might come to FFXV in 2018? Judging from this reddit translation of the ATR, we wouldn’t be surprised to see more content focusing on Luna. Noctis’ bride-to-be felt underdeveloped in the main story, yet she remains a popular character that fans are curious about. The FFXV team also acknowledged the community’s desire to see more of Niflheim and other locations in the game, like Tenebrae and Insomnia. Hopefully we’ll get to see more of these places next year.
Tabata’s ambitious plans suggest a second Season Pass is in the works for FFXV, though the director didn’t confirm as much during Wednesday’s event. If there is a second Season Pass, that’s just fine with us. Substantial story updates, limited time events and extensive new content like the Comrades multiplayer expansion and made the first one a solid value. We’d be willing to pony up the cash for another round in 2018.
FFXV will also see some welcome tweaks in a December update. Loading times have been significantly reduced, and you’ll also be able to play as any of the four Chocobros in combat. The new battle commands from each character’s DLC episode will transfer over to the main game. Though Square Enix hasn’t confirmed an exact date, these updates should hit the game before the end of the year.
The FFXV team also dropped some new details about Episode Ignis, revealing the opening cinematic for the DLC (embedded below). Players should expect about two hours of gameplay to complete it, but plan for three or more to get all of the possible endings. According to the reddit translation, Episode Ignis will be heavily story-driven, with about “twice the amount of story” compared to Episode Prompto. The latest DLC will be available Dec. 13.
Will you still be playing FFXV in 2018? What new content would you most like to see in the coming year? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
- Engaging main cast of characters
- Fun, fast-paced combat
- A massive, beautiful world to explore
- The Regalia!
- Continuous updates have addressed some shortcomings of the initial release
- Major aspects of the story feel rushed or absent, particularly toward the end of the game
- Stealth sequences feel out of place
