Is the Final Fantasy XV Season Pass Worth Buying?

Square Enix planned significant post-launch support for Final Fantasy XV, much of it premium downloadable content. For players looking to get all the paid DLC, the publisher offered a Season Pass. Its value depends on the content provided, which ranges from item packs to substantial story expansions. An examination of the announced DLC gives a clearer picture of what the pass contains.

Note: This analysis contains major spoilers for the main campaign of Final Fantasy XV.

Season Pass Contents and Holiday Pack+

The Season Pass for Final Fantasy XV was priced competitively against other major releases at the time. It was available as a standalone purchase or as part of the Final Fantasy XV Digital Premium Edition.

The first piece of premium content, the Holiday Pack+, was released shortly after the game’s launch. It provided subscribers with a collection of in-game items, accessories, and other bonuses. The contents included:

• Armiger Accelerator: An accessory for Noctis that speeds up the Armiger bar’s replenishment rate at the cost of freezing the tech bar.
• Blitzer’s Fanfare: A music sheet that grants bonus AP for achieving an A+ rank in Time during combat.
• Carnival Passport: Grants access to a special, limited-time carnival event. This was also available in the free version of the Holiday Pack.
• Key of Prosperity: An item that increases the drop rate of items from defeated enemies.
• Photo Frames: A set of festive-themed frames for Prompto’s photos, usable when sharing them on social media.
• Ring of Resistance: A protective ring that makes the entire party immune to friendly-fire magic attacks.
• Stamina Badge: An accessory for Noctis that provides unlimited stamina for sprinting and hanging.
• Tactician’s Fanfare: Another music sheet that awards extra AP for earning an A+ in Finesse during battles.
• Tech Turbocharger: An accessory for Noctis that accelerates the tech bar’s replenishment rate but freezes the Armiger bar.

The Character Episodes

Throughout the main story of Final Fantasy XV, Noctis’s companions occasionally leave the party for personal reasons, only to return later with new experiences hinted at but never shown. The Season Pass planned to fill in these narrative gaps with three character-focused episodes. Each was designed to feature new story details, explorable areas, and unique gameplay mechanics. Weapons earned in these episodes could also be transferred to the main game.

Episode Gladiolus

The first announced story DLC was Episode Gladiolus. This episode focuses on the events after Chapter 6, when Gladiolus abruptly leaves the group to handle personal business. He returns in Chapter 8 sporting a prominent new scar, humorously deflecting questions about its origin. The DLC was set to reveal the story behind his departure and his trial to become a stronger shield for the king.

Square Enix described the gameplay for Episode Gladiolus as more action-oriented than the main game’s hybrid RPG system. With Gladiolus limited to his signature greatswords, the combat was expected to be slower and more deliberate, emphasizing heavy, impactful strikes. This suggested a style potentially closer to games like Dark Souls rather than faster character-action titles.

Episode Ignis

The second character pack, Episode Ignis, was planned to cover the dramatic events of Chapter 9. During the battle with Leviathan in Altissia, the party splits up to help evacuate citizens. In the chaos, Ignis suffers an injury that permanently costs him his eyesight. The episode was slated to explore this pivotal and tragic moment from his perspective.

Developers stated this DLC would feature more tactical gameplay. This could involve Ignis leading the city’s evacuation efforts, placing him in a strategic command role. Another possibility was that players would control him during or after his injury, adapting to a new set of challenges. In the main game, Ignis wields daggers and polearms, and this episode would likely build upon his established combat style with a tactical twist.

Episode Prompto

The third major story DLC announced was Episode Prompto. This episode addresses Prompto’s separation from the party at the end of Chapter 11, when he is knocked off a train in Niflheim territory. He does not reappear until Chapter 13, where he reveals startling truths about his origins—a major plot point the main game touches on only briefly. The DLC was intended to explore his journey alone and his struggle with his identity.

According to Square Enix, Episode Prompto would play like a shooter, a significant departure from the game’s usual combat. This aligns with Prompto’s role as the party’s firearm specialist. The new playable area could have been Eusciello, the open region of Niflheim where he fell, or it could have taken place within the imperial fortress of Gralea, where he was ultimately found by his friends.

Multiplayer Expansion Pack

The final component of the Season Pass was a multiplayer expansion. This DLC would introduce an online cooperative mode for up to four players. The expansion was not just limited to the four main protagonists. Reports indicated that other key characters like Aranea, Cor, and Iris would also be playable, offering a wider roster for players to choose from.

The setting for the multiplayer expansion was expected to be the World of Ruin from Chapter 14. In the main campaign, players only explore a small, final section of this daemon-infested world shrouded in darkness. The expansion presented an opportunity to open up the Kingdom of Lucis in its desolate state, allowing players to take on powerful monsters and complete missions together in a bleak, challenging environment.