Today (November 7th) marked the release of Horizon Zero Dawn‘s first and only piece of story expansion, The Frozen Wilds. The expansion adds about fifteen hours of additional gameplay and takes players into a new area: the borderlands of the Banuk tribe, filled with new quests, characters, equipment, and enemies.
In a launch post on PlayStation’s blog, developer Guerilla Games published a few Frozen Wilds tips, along with a final launch trailer for the DLC. According to Guerilla, players will not need to create a new game to play the expansion, as “the expansion content is available regardless of whether you’re on your very first playthrough or on your latest New Game+.” Simply load your latest save and begin.
While the base game does not have to be complete to begin the DLC, Guerilla recommends you at least reach level 30 to play. To play the expansion, you must also have completed a quest called “A Seeker at the Gates.” Guerilla wrote, “Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds adds a whole new region known as The Cut, which becomes accessible after you’ve completed the quest A Seeker at the Gates.” If you’re level 30, it’s likely you’ve already done this; if not, make sure to finish it before trying to unlock the DLC. Guerilla also offered a bit of advice on stocking up for the venture, adding, “Between the inhospitable environment and the dangerous new machines, Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds offers a greater challenge than the base game — so make sure you bring the right skills, outfits, and weapons.”
Finally, Guerilla outlined where to find quest-givers that can direct players to The Cut. “To receive directions to the new region known as The Cut, speak with one of the three quest-givers added to the base game region. These quest-givers appear with a blue quest start marker over their head. They’re located in the following areas:
- Rhavid, a Carja nobleman with information and speculation about the Banuk borderlands, can be found outside Meridian.
- Ohtur, who knows how to get to The Cut, can be found inside the Carja border fort known as Daytower.
- Yariki, a Banuk woman with a dire warning about the dangers found in the borderlands, can be found north of the Grave Hoard.”
Horizon Zero Dawn is available for the PS4, and the Frozen Wilds expansion is out now for $19.99 on the PlayStation Store. You can watch the launch trailer below.