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‘Defiance’ DLC rolling out as the television show moves on to a second season

Kevin Kelly
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Defiance was heralded as a new form of interactive entertainment by Trion Worlds when the game was first announced in conjunction with the television show of the same name from the Syfy Channel. Now that that the television show has been renewed for a second season and Trion is preparing the first DLC installment for the game, we can see more of the crossover happening – at least in one direction. The extremely popular Castithan race from the show is being added as a playable race in the “Castithan Charge Pack,” which includes the iconic charge blade weapon as well. 

But that’s just part of what’s coming for players. Some of the new content will be free and some you’ll have to get in the paid DLC, but it’s clear that Trion is dedicated to listening to both fans of the show and the game to keep people happy.

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Story/Concept

New Race. Here’s where I shamefully admit, and this is as a massive science fiction nerd, that I have yet to watch Defiance. Please don’t mention this to Grant Bowler, lest I feel his wrath. However, I have friends that love the show (including others at DT), and they continue to lambast me for not yet tuning in. Last month it was announced that the show has been renewed for a second season, bringing 13 new episodes next year. That should give me ample time to catch up on some required viewing.

Trion also announced last month that the “Castithan Charge Pack” would be the first of five announced DLC packs, giving players a taste of new content that has been influenced by the show itself. This pack includes the Castithan race, a Battle Arena, charge weapons, and a new four-person vehicle so you and your buddies can now ride along together. 

Gameplay

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Big. Bad. Boom. While I might not have seen Defiance yet, I have certainly played it, and Trion let us get a brief taste of the DLC during E3. The real punch behind this DLC pack is the Castithans, which have been immensely popular in the television show thanks to their arrogant attitudes and Elvish appearance. Thankfully, Trion has included the feature to convert your existing character to Castithan if you so desire, meaning you won’t lose any experience if you really want to swap races. 

One of the most immediate indications of the new content are the Sieges, which you will spot randomly on your map. In our demo, these were spots being overrun by the Volge, and you could repair/upgrade turrets and defend these spots to earn experience and new charge weapons as well. The final DLC will involve Plaguers as well in these Siege events, and they increase in difficulty with each approaching wave of baddies.

More and more. There is also an Arena mode coming in the new DLC, which we didn’t see, and this will be an area where players can earn reputation and buy cool new weapons and toys, including the charge blade. There is a new Monolith Arkfall event coming as well, which gives you the ability to fight the Dark Matter, along with the enormous boss who was previously guarding the Golden Gate bridge. This baddie is a gigantic mech, and he has hardpoints on his armor that you will have to break through before taking him down. Luckily you’ll have those new charge weapons with you to help out, and bunch of fellow players as well. This bad guy can be tough to take down, as you have to disable each of his legs first and expose his hardpoints, and then whale on him to take him down. Along the way, Dark Matter will drop down to challenge you, and to try and control some of the points on the map. Don’t let ’em do that.

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Takeaway

I want my DLC! So what exactly does this new DLC get you? Here’s a breakdown:

You get this as part of the DLC for free:


  • Access to the new Charge Weapons Class and Castithan Blades
  • Access to Sieges, a new Open World Game Mode

  • Access to the new Monolith Major Arkfall

  • Access to a new PvP Map – Military Academy

  • Join a friend into the Battle Arenas Game Mode

  • Duel your friends and neighbors in the Duels Game Mode

  • Enemies, lockboxes, and events can drop Charge Weapons

  • Select a new voice for you character

  • Multitude of game improvements from UI to content

You can buy these individually from the store:


  • New Mods that tint the color of your Castithan Blade

  • Lockboxes have a chance to get Charge Weapons

  • More versions of the Raptor, the new 4 player truck of doomed compensation

  • Character Customization changes: Appearance change, name change, or everything change

The Castithan Charge Pack and accompanying update content will be available “soon,” according to Trion Worlds, and more content will continue to come out in the months ahead. Players can purchase the DLC piecemeal, or pick up a season pass for $40 that will give you access to all five pieces of content that will eventually be out. 

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Kevin Kelly
Kevin Kelly
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kevin Kelly is a writer and pop culture junkie with a fixation on video games, movies, and board games. His writing has been…
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