The “Secrets of the Spires” DLC for “Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora” has finally landed for those with a Season Pass. This latest addition brings a fresh batch of achievements to unlock, a brand-new map region, an engaging story campaign, and plenty more thrills. With this release, we’ve reached the end of what’s currently planned for post-launch content, leaving us to ponder whether these updates might cement the game as one of the top open-world experiences on Xbox.
“H2″>Secrets of the Spires is Ready for Adventure
After a slight delay, “Secrets of the Spires” is now available as the second story expansion for Season Pass holders. Along with five new Xbox achievements, the DLC offers a sizeable 17.5GB package for Xbox Series X|S players. The highlights include the addition of the Spires of the Clouded Forest—a fascinating new map area—plus new skills, gear, and a revitalized story campaign. While the DLC picks up from the main storyline, it also allows players to jump straight into the new content without finishing the primary plot first.
Ubisoft tantalizingly describes this update: “Experience the adrenaline of epic aerial battles in the breathtaking new mountainous territory of Pandora’s Western Frontier. Fly through this new open world and engage in immersive gameplay designed specifically for you and your ikran.” They continue, “Take on RDA convoys with newly acquired ikran abilities and a novel mounted weapon, and ally with a secluded Na’vi clan as they confront a formidable RDA threat. Traverse through the region’s vertical landscape, replete with canyons and hidden caves, where perils await in the shadows.”
We’ve already gotten a sneak peek at the five new achievements available in Secrets of the Spires—check out the details below, straight from the patch notes.
“Secrets of the Spires”: Explore an expansive new area, the Spires of the Clouded Forest. Dive into a fresh story campaign complete with side quests and a variety of fun activities. Navigate new biomes like the Tangled Peaks, Splintered Arches, and Warrior’s Rise. Strengthen your bond with your ikran by unlocking new skills and acquiring gear. Face new aerial threats and refine your skills to tackle them efficiently. Furthermore, you can engage with novel flora and fauna and uncover unique traversal methods!
Progression Updates: The new ikran skills can now be unlocked and upgraded using skill points across all platforms, introducing moves like Ikran Smash and Launch, along with Flares.
PlayStation 5 Pro Support: Enjoy the game in 60 FPS Quality Mode, benefiting from hardware improvements that enhance both frame rates and resolution. Additionally, with the cutting-edge PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) technology, players will experience improved overall quality and performance.
Known Issues: A few kinks need ironing out. On PC, there’s a temporary fix for those facing issues on Windows 11 24H2, though some performance hiccups might persist. For PS5, Menu Narration might skip “Additional Info” sections if the reading speed is under 1.80x. Across all platforms, several messages and icons don’t always display correctly in specific scenarios, and there might be some unexpected behaviors with quests and player rewards.
As we dive into this latest DLC, we’re left to wonder what Ubisoft has in store next for “Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora”. The mixed performances of Ubisoft-published titles in 2024, coupled with rolling updates to other major games like “Star Wars Outlaws,” hint at a landscape of ongoing changes and improvements.
“The Sky Breaker,” the previous story expansion, offered about six to eight hours of gameplay—so it remains to be seen just how much time “Secrets of the Spires” will absorb from our schedules. I’m particularly eager to explore the ikran aspects, although I’m curious if “Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora” can maintain its allure beyond this content.
Having more ikran-centric content could be a real boon for “Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.” Soaring around Pandora remains a standout feature from our initial game review, and I’m hopeful that the aerial combat challenges are refined with these new updates to enhance our ikran’s combat prowess a bit more.