The Outer Worlds 2’s First DLC, Side Effects Guaranteed, Lands on 2 December

Side Effects Guaranteed, the first of a two-part narrative expansion for The Outer Worlds 2, is coming to Xbox Series X|S on 2 December.

Xbox and Obsidian Entertainment announced the date today. The DLC will cost $14.99, according to Xbox. A standalone GBP price has not been listed on the Xbox Store yet. It is also included with the Premium Edition (£89.99 / $99.99) and the Premium Upgrade (£30 / $30). The Outer Worlds 2 itself is included with Game Pass Ultimate, according to the Xbox Store, but Side Effects Guaranteed has not been announced for Game Pass.

A distress call, and a puddle

A distress signal draws you and the crew of the Incognito to a derelict ship, where the crew is in suspended animation — and a puddle on the floor was most likely a person. A video message from the captain explains that they were contaminated during a heist, and that without a cure they face “explosive cell death”. Or, as she puts it, “liquefaction”.

That message leads you to Gordon Hazen, a leading agent in Sub Rosa, a criminal outfit that steals from Arcadia’s factions rather than working for them. Gordon sends you to Elysium Valley, a new region on Eden and home to a settlement of former Protectorate subjects who have been forgotten by their leaders. He thinks they may have the answers to saving his crew, and while he favours diplomacy, he needs you to get the information however you can.

Another Sub Rosa agent, Algernon Lankester, has his own plans for Elysium Valley, and wants your help exploiting the settlement. The fate of the subjects, the frozen agents and the future of Sub Rosa itself is yours to decide — and Xbox says those choices will carry into the second DLC, due in spring 2027.

A higher level cap, new flaws and giant sprats

Elysium Valley brings new threats, including vicious canids and primal sprats — ordinary sprats, Xbox says, “but about 100 times the size”.

The level cap rises from 30 to 36, which adds more skill points and three extra perk slots, alongside 15 new perks. Four new flaws are coming too. Lethally Tolerant increases your maximum toxicity once you have built up a resistance to chemicals, but a Toxicity Crash will kill you instantly. Must Have Been the Wind marks an assassination target in a combat group: kill that target and you get a 20% damage and speed buff until the fight ends, but miss them or attack the wrong person and you take a 10% damage and speed debuff for 30 seconds.

The expansion also adds new weapons, new armour and new outfits for each companion, plus a Sub Rosa radio station with 20 new songs. If you would rather jump straight in, a new alternate starting point on the main menu lets you begin a new game with a custom save at the start of the DLC, then allocate skill and perk points from there.

When can I play it?

Side Effects Guaranteed comes to Xbox Series X|S on 2 December for $14.99, or as part of the Premium Edition and Premium Upgrade. The standalone DLC is not yet listed on the Xbox Store, so we will update this when a GBP price appears. The base game remains included with Game Pass Ultimate, according to the Xbox Store, but you will still need to buy the DLC or a Premium edition to play it.

Will you be heading to Elysium Valley on day one? Let us know on X or Facebook.