Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Update Adds New Game Plus Mode

An update that’s now been released for Xenoblade Chronicles 2 added a new game plus mode alongside an easier difficulty setting.

The Nintendo of America Twitter account shared the news on March 2 that the Xenoblade Chronicles 2 update was available with a quick preview of what’s included in Patch 1.3.0. In addition to the two changes mentioned above, the blade system was also adjusted alongside numerous bugfixes and improvements to various other features.

The link included in the tweet redirects players to the Nintendo support site where Patch 1.3.0 can be found among the list of previous updates. The update’s core details concerning the new game plus mode as well as other updates can be found below with a full list including bugfixes seen through the Nintendo support site.

Advanced New Game has been added

• Players with save data from the final chapter and who have cleared the game will now be able to select “Advanced New Game” on the title screen and carry over some of their data from the previous playthrough.
• Elements carried over into Advanced New Game
  • Driver levels
  • Driver and Blade equipment and growth
  • Awakened Blades
  • Acquired items and gold
  • Town development status and Merc Group level
  • Status of Events Theater and defeated unique monsters
  • Play time
• New system features added to Advanced New Game
  • Bonding with certain Blades from Torna will allow them to join your party.
  • Meeting certain Blades from Torna in the game world will allow them to join your party.
  • All Blades can be dispatched on Merc Missions.
  • Driver Hidden Affinities have been unlocked. New skills can also be learned.
  • Zeke’s “Eye of Shining Justice” has been unlocked. (The skill can be learned by developing Zeke’s Hidden Affinities)
  • Levels can now be decreased at inns, with a corresponding amount of bonus EXP being granted for the number of levels decreased.
  • Traveling Bards that will exchange Bonus EXP and special items have been added to various locations throughout Alrest.
    • Traveling Bards are displayed on the mini map as green shop icons.
    • Among the newly exchangeable items, there are those that will increase the number of accessories a Driver can have equipped.
  • Level 4 Specials have been unlocked for certain Blades.
• Things to note in Advanced New Game
  • Quests, Heart-to-Hearts, and Skip Travel points will all be reset.
  • Cleared Merc Missions will be reset.
  • Saving after beginning an Advanced New Game playthrough will overwrite the save data in which you initially cleared the game.

Other Updates

• Easy difficulty has been added. Due to this addition, the default difficulty will now be “Normal.”
  • This only adjusts the balance of elements of battles. Game difficulty can be changed at any time via the Options menu.
• Added a “simple mode” option allowing players to skip the lottery animation when bonding with Blades.
• Added the ability to “lock” Blades so that they can’t be mistakenly released.
• Added a “Sort” option to the Blade List, Accessories, Aux Cores, and Poppy’s Skill Parts.
• Map icons will now appear on the mini map.
• Adjusted AI to perform Blade Switches with no regard for Driver combos when using Drivers that prioritize Driver combos while fighting enemies against whom those combos aren’t effective.
• Added the ability to receive the 4th round of items distributed via the Expansion Pass.