DC Universe Online Episode 15 Brings Bombshells, Black Lanterns, & A Paradigm Shift To The Game

DC Universe Online is bringing bombshells and Black Lanterns to the game with its Episode 15 update. Design Director Jesse Benjamin and Senior Creative Director Jens Andersen walked us through the new content to show us what DCUO superheroes have to look forward to when the episode launches.

Anderson called the release "monumentous" as it changes the way Daybreak does DLC for the game. Rather than large, quarterly releases focusing on a specific story or character, the game will now receive monthly, episodic updates that will tie-in to events in DC's comics and television shows in a timelier manner.

Episode 15 will introduce an 8-player raid and a duo mission. One continues the War of the Light storyline begun in previous DLC by taking the battle to Zamaron and adding both the Indigo Tribe and the Black Lanterns to the game, including Black Lantern iconics. Andersen assures that the storylines for Amazon Fury and Halls of Power will all be completed in a similar fashion.

The first of the more timely storylines will be the Bombshells mission in Episode 15, timed nicely with this week's release of DC Comics' Bombshells #1. The mission will feature Bombshell versions of Wonder Woman, Harley Quinn, Supergirl, and Zatanna going up against Bombshell Talia al Ghul. Andersen promises there will be no in-game spoilers for the comics. The DCUO Bombshells storyline is unique to the game. Original Bombshells character cover art will be added as lair items in the game.

Andersen and Benjamin gave as a look at the Bombshells raid, which takes place in a Russian gulag and factory. The event has some nice touches that add the 1940s feel of the universe, including radio news broadcasts by Lois Lane. Players will be able to bring some of that style to the present day with unlockable Bombshells customization items. The villains in the raid are mysterious humanoids with pitch black skins and glowing eyes. Talia herself has a mysteriously black hand. The Bombshells iconics will be available for both Legends PvE and PvP.

The duo event takes place on Zamaron. In previous episodes, the Entities were reconstituted and restored to their batteries, but the fact that they were technically dead and reborn left a loophole for Nekron to get in through. Now he's using the Star Sapphire Power battery as a foothold to corrupt the entire planet. We got a look at some of the Black Lanterns, looking intimidating with a shadowy black aura around them. Daybreak used characters who died earlier in the War of the Light storyline as Black Lanterns. Players have an opportunity to team up with Star Sapphire Wonder Woman to battle Black Lantern Hawkgirl! Player rewards include a hard light armor set, and an Indigo Tribe-inspired set of gear.

The episode looks like a lot of fun, and monthly updates sounds like a fantastic way to bring a monthly comic book feel to the ongoing online superhero saga. Perhaps more importantly, Andersen promises this will allow the Daybreak team to be more "agile" and react to what it is players want to see in game. We're looking forward to playing Episode 15 when it arrives in August, and seeing what else Daybreak has in store.