The Alien franchise hasn't had the best track record when it comes to video game adaptations but Cold Iron Studios and 20th Century Games delivered a solid hit with Aliens: Fireteam Elite last year. The co-op multiplayer shooter perfectly encapsulated the action and intensity of combat against xenomorphs with my only complaint being the campaign was too short.
Well, this August, Cold Iron Studios is releasing a new story expansion. The Pathogen DLC will be available to download on August 30th for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and Steam.
The new campaign will send players back to planet LV-895 where a deadly pathogen was unleashed, resulting in new, terrifying enemies. Here's the brief synopsis:
Something sinister has evolved in the wilds of planet LV-895 and not even Xenomorphs are safe from its ravages. The crew of the Endeavor must venture into uncharted lands and face terrifying new enemies if they hope to discover the source of this mysterious new threat.
The Pathogen expansion comes with three exclusive story missions that feature never-before-seen enemies. But fear not, your armory has also been bolstered with new tools and cosmetics. Here's everything included in the Pathogen expansion:
- 3 New Missions as a part of the Pathogen campaign
- 8 New Weapons, 2 for each weapon type
- 1 New Perk for each Class Kit that modifies the player’s main ability
- 26 New Weapon Attachments that modify stats and grant special traits
- 2 New Outfits (for all 7 Class Kits) and 6 Head Accessories for Marine customization
- 21 New Weapon Colors and 9 Decals for gun customization
- 10 New Emotes for interacting within Fireteams
Launching alongside the Pathogen expansion in August is a free update that will include a new Hardcore mode. In this mode, marines will be faced with "an extreme survival challenge that will test their resolve and mental fortitude."
In this mode, you'll start with a new character and play at a difficulty of your choice. There are up to 50 levels of difficulty. There's permadeath in this mode, so when you die it's actually game over. However, as you progress through Hardcore Mode, you'll unlock items that can be saved and carried over for future use in another run.
Additionally, an update coming in July will add crossplay. This will allow players to squad up regardless of what platform they are playing on.
Aliens: Fireteam Elite - Pathogen will launch on August 30, 2022. You will need a copy of the base game on the same platform to access this new content.