"Dark Souls 3" will receive its first of two DLC packs this October with the launch of "Ashes of Ariandel," set in snow-covered ruins where the player must fight their way in and discover what became of the once-beautiful landscape.
"Ashes of Ariandel" will be launching this Oct. 25 for the PS4, PC, and Xbox One, and on its own, the DLC will cost $14.99, but the season pass is still available for $24.99. This season pass will also cover the purchase for the second DLC which is scheduled to launch sometime in 2017, although a more specific date is yet to be announced.
In preparation for the launch of "Ashes of Ariandel," publisher Bandai Namco and developer From Software have released a short gameplay video that showcases some of the locations and enemies that players will encounter once the DLC is released.
Some of these new enemies resemble giant Vikings, complete with horned helmets and great axes. Others carry spears that they can throw or use to thrust towards the player, and others carry torches that they then use to breathe fire against the player.
Another enemy showcases resembles a hybrid of sorts of a giant spider and fly and can only be killed quickly by burning them fire. There are also two boss battles shown, one of them showcasing a giant wolf and a second one featuring a female grim reaper armed with a giant scythe.
The DLC also marks the beginning of the end for the franchise as From Software president Hidetaka Miyazaki confirms in an interview with Polygon that once the two DLCs are launched, the company will be moving on to new IPs and other projects. Miyazaki also points out that although they won't be making spin-offs, sequels, or tie-ins, they may release HD versions of older games for the PS4 and Xbox One.
He did state that in the far future the franchise may be revisited, stating "I'm not completely denying the possibility of bringing back the franchise in the future. There could be someone else in my company who wants to work on new installments. But we believe that the series will end after the two DLC."
