As part of its Direct Presentation earlier today, Nintendo released a trailer for Volume 3 of Xenoblade Chronicles 3's Expansion Pass while teasing what is to come for Volume 4. The JRPG has received many updates since launch, be it changing the appearance of antagonist N's sword or adding new content via the paid Expansion Pass, but Volume 4's teaser makes it clear that it will be the largest addition yet.
Since Xenoblade Chronicles 3 launched in 2022, the Expansion Pass that came out alongside it has added things like adding the Mechanical Hero Ino and giving swimsuits for the party to wear, but none placed a big emphasis on added story content. It's been a great way to keep fans of the combat satisfied while giving more visual customization to the cast. Outside the stories provided for the new heroes included, however, there is little for those craving more stories in the game's world to engage with.
This remains true with Volume 3 of the Expansion Pass, which Nintendo recently revealed has a release date of February 15 in its latest Direct Presentation. In it, one of the inclusions will be new Challenge Battles in the form of the Archsage's Gauntlet, giving Xenoblade Chronicles 3 a rouge-lite mode where one party member starts engaging in fighting enemy waves and earning heroes alongside abilities with each wave won. The other inclusion is the hero Masha, who the trailer describes as a "refined Lapadarist" that can craft accessories for the party and will no doubt be useful for giving everyone an extra edge in combat.
Where the trailer gets incredibly interesting is in the tease for Volume 4 that plays right after, notably because it shows an older Shulk and what appears to be a much older Rex facing off against Alvis before cutting to another character questioning someone off-screen that killing his grandfather wasn't enough. For longtime fans of the series, it's an incredibly exciting teaser as it shows the protagonists from the previous Xenoblade Chronicles games teaming up, and the new story could potentially tie up loose ends from the main game like the origin of Aionios.
Between what is to come for Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and the announcement of Wave 4 for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's Booster Pass, Nintendo is adding a significant amount of content to existing games this year. No doubt this will help boost the longevity of these titles, keeping them relevant for a while longer than how they would be otherwise with no additional support after launch.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is available now for Nintendo Switch.
