'Final Fantasy XV' release date, updates: additional content includes online co-op as DLC

A screenshot from the game "Final Fantasy XV." Square-Enix official website

With the game going gold, it is expected that "Final Fantasy XV" will roll out on its scheduled release date. Meanwhile, Square Enix continues to tease post-launch content for the game, including an online multiplayer DLC.

Speaking to IGN, DLC director Haruyoshi Sawatari teased that on its base, the post-launch online multiplayer will combine all assets from the multiple DLC releases, as well as characters from the main story. The team executive said, "When we've released each of those three [character] episodes, and made each of the three characters playable, we're going to bring back [lead character] Noctis from the main game, and then add the multiplayer expansion pack which allows you to play as all of them together in new types of online adventures."

With this hint, the online multiplayer feature is expected to come out as the last DLC pack for "Final Fantasy XV," at least, for the first season. Dubbed as "Comrades," the multiplayer DLC will join other planned post-launch content like the "Holiday Pack" and at least three main story expansions called "Episodes."

Sawatari also explained that will the multiplayer online content will use assets from the main game, it will play as an altogether new expansion for fans, and not as re-hash of gameplay with only new additional players. "The stories we're telling through the DLC are going to be linked closely to the main game's story, but they're things that we feel we could only really do within DLC. It couldn't have been part of the main game at all," the studio executive added.

The online multiplayer DLC will connect up to four players, and gamers will battle as Gladio, Ignis, Prompto, or the main story character, Noctis.

"Final Fantasy XV" will launch on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on Nov. 29. Meanwhile, Square Enix has yet to announce confirmed release schedules for the planned DLCs.

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