Pandora’s Frontiers: Second Major Story DLC Released

The Secrets of the Spires expansion for Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora has officially dropped for Season Pass holders. This fresh addition brings some intriguing elements, including a new map area, a captivating story campaign, and several achievements to hunt down. With this new release, we wrap up what we know of post-launch content for the game. It’ll be compelling to observe if this DLC can elevate the game’s standing among the finest open-world offerings on Xbox.

Secrets of the Spires Available Now

After a brief delay, the much-awaited Secrets of the Spires is here, marking the second story pack included with the Season Pass for Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. For those playing on Xbox Series X|S, expect a download size of around 17.5GB. The expansion brings to the table a new map area called Spires of the Clouded Forest, along with new skills, gear, and an engaging story campaign. It continues the storyline from the main game, yet players have the choice to dive straight into Secrets of the Spires, bypassing the initial story arc.

Ubisoft teases epic aerial combat in this new region, the Spires of the Clouded Forest, a dramatic addition to Pandora’s Western Frontier. Designed to enhance the exhilaration of soaring on your ikran, this area is packed with excitement. The developers encourage players to sabotage RDA aerial convoys using newly acquired ikran skills and a mounted weapon. Joining forces with a sheltered Na’vi clan, players will confront a looming RDA threat in the Spires area. The region’s vertical landscape is rich with canyons and caves, offering both challenges and unexpected dangers.

Five new achievements for Secrets of the Spires are also up for grabs. Here’s a brief on what’s been packed into this update:

Secrets of the Spires Features

A fresh map area, Spires of the Clouded Forest, comes with an entirely new story campaign, side quests, and activities. You’ll discover biomes like the Tangled Peaks, Splintered Arches, and Warrior’s Rise. Strengthen your bond with your ikran, unlocking new skills and gear. Face off against aerial adversaries, interact with new flora and fauna, and uncover novel gathering and traversal techniques.

Progression and Platform Updates

All platforms now allow players to use skill points for unlocking and enhancing several new ikran skills, such as Ikran Smash, Launch, and Flares. On PlayStation 5 Pro, the game supports a 60 FPS Quality Mode, which means better visuals and smoother gameplay due to increased internal resolution. Additionally, PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) has been introduced to harness the PS5 Pro’s advanced ML-hardware.

Known Issues

On the PC front, there are temporary fixes for players experiencing issues on Windows 11 24H2, though some performance hiccups may persist as a permanent solution is developed. Across all platforms, there are issues like slow loading of map icons, misplaced warning messages, and players sometimes receiving rewards without completing quests.

As for Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora’s future, Ubisoft’s next steps remain a mystery. With Star Wars Outlaws rolling out significant patch updates, it’s been a busy period for Ubisoft-published games in 2024.

The earlier story pack, The Sky Breaker, had a runtime of six to eight hours. It will be intriguing to see how Secrets of the Spires fares in that regard. Personally, I’m most eager to revisit the game for the ikran content, but I do ponder about the game’s lasting appeal. While Avatar enthusiasts might revel in exploring Pandora, only time will tell how it will ultimately rank.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora could indeed gain from additional ikran content, since the thrill of navigating Pandora’s skies was a highlight in our review. The aerial combat felt a bit awkward initially, so I’m hopeful this new DLC will expand on what our ikran can do.