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Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is getting a $30 expansion pass. Here’s what it includes

George Yang
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This story is part of the Digital Trends Summer Gaming Marathon series

Nintendo premiered its Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Direct and revealed that it will receive an expansion pass. It costs $30 and it’ll give players some helpful in-game items and outfit color variants at launch.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Direct - Nintendo Switch

At the end of the year, the game will add a Challenge Battle as well as a new hero character, quests, and outfits. More extras will come on April 30, 2023, while an entirely new story scenario will be added by the end of 2023. Interestingly, the artwork on the expansion pass shows three swords, one of which is from Rex, the protagonist of Xenoblade Chronicles 2. This indicates that he could be one of the Challenge Battles or have a place in the new story scenario.

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The game will also have amiibo functionality. The Super Smash Bros. series Shulk amiibo will change Noah’s sword into the Monado, Shulk’s own weapon in the first Xenoblade Chronicles game. There are other amiibo that will be compatible with the game, but those details weren’t revealed.

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It doesn’t seem like the expansion pass will be included with Switch Online memberships. Nintendo has recently bundled its add-ons into its Expansion Pack tier of the service, but Xenoblade won’t be following that trend for now.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3‘s story follows the nations of Keves and Agnus as they fight continuously in a never-ending war. The soldiers of Agnus all have a 10-year lifespan and seeing it through completion and receiving a homecoming ceremony from the queen is seen as the highest honor. However, most don’t manage to make it as they perish during battle. It seems like the main cast is looking for some way to break the cycle.

The playable cast consists of three people from Keves and three from Agnus. After fighting with each other, they must set aside their differences to band together against a new enemy that pledges to constantly hunt them down.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 launches on July 29 for Nintendo Switch.

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George Yang
George Yang
George Yang is a freelance games writer for Digital Trends. He has written for places such as IGN, GameSpot, The Washington…
Everything announced at the September 2022 Nintendo Direct
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Nintendo Direct 9.13.2022
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Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse gets a remaster in early 2023.
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SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake gameplay was shown off.
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Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & The Secret Key launches on February 24, 2023. 
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Following months of Nintendo-related leaks and a third-party showcase in June, the second full-fledged Nintendo Direct of 2022 is finally happening. February's show had neat reveals of games like Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, Mario Strikers: Battle League, Xenoblade Chronicles 3, and Nintendo Switch Sports. Now, Nintendo Switch players hope the September 2022 Nintendo Direct will give a clear idea of what to expect throughout the rest of this year and into the first months of 2023.
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Metroid Prime returns

 
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Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Colony affinity guide
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If you have played either of the previous Xenoblade Chronicles games, then there will be a lot of familiar elements when you get started in Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Many of the same terms and mechanics from prior games are reused, as is the general flow of the game. At the same time, nearly everything familiar will be somewhat changed or expanded upon in this title to make them that little bit more interesting. One prime example of this is the Colonies.

The world you can explore in Aionios is more vast and dangerous than ever, but Colonies are your kind of safe haven from the wilds once you've liberated them. While you can count on them as a safe place to rest most of the time, they offer way more possibilities and functions for those willing to put in some work to make the people of each Colony like you. This is an important part of ending the conflict between two warring nations as well, so the rewards you get are just icing on the cake. Here's everything you need to know about Colony affinity in Xenoblade Chronicles 3.

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