'Xenoblade Chronicles 2' update: Upcoming patch will add new game plus mode

"Xenoblade Chronicles 2" will be receiving a free New Game Plus update next month.Monolith Soft

Monolith Soft director Tetsuya Takahashi has announced that the 1.3.0 update for "Xenoblade Chronicles 2," the newest Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) to hit the Nintendo Switch, will be adding a new game plus mode for the game.

Officially announced on Nintendo's Japanese website and later translated by Gematsu, Takahashi talked about a free update that's scheduled to arrive for "Xenoblade Chronicles 2" in mid-February.

According to the short message, the upcoming patch will add something called Advanced New Game Mode which is essentially a traditional new game plus mode that's pretty common in most JRPGs.

No details have been revealed so far regarding what exactly carries over to the Advanced New Game Mode, but they do plan on releasing more information leading up to the release of the patch.

1.3.0 will also fix a bug that is present in version 1.2.0 of the game which causes a Blade linked with a specific Driver to disappear from the list of Blades the player has in their party.

It should be noted that this update is not part of the Season Pass nor the paid downloadable content that is supposed to arrive later this year. This instead serves as a free update that adds more quality of life features to the game such as the previously mentioned new game plus mode.

Season Pass owners should expect Monolith Soft to release more side quests and story expansions down the line as well as other gameplay features such as new Blades, items, and a challenge mode pack.

Takahashi recently sent out a message to all owners of the game in Japan which was then translated by Nintendo Everything. In the message, he talked about the upcoming expansion packs for the game as well as how they plan to increase the already long game's longevity and advised players to take the game slowly.

"Other than that, additional quests and story will be given to those who have bought the Expansion Pass," he wrote, adding, "We are planning for this content to make Xenoblade Chronicles 2 playable worldwide in an even longer term, so please play at your own relaxed pace."

"Xenoblade Chronicles 2" is available now on the Nintendo Switch.