What to Expect From Astro Bot's Free DLC

Astro Bot is just the thing PlayStation needed. After Concord's infamously disastrous launch, PlayStation needed Astro Bot to earn critical acclaim and sell like hotcakes, and it seems to have exceeded even those lofty expectations. While one of Astro Bot's greatest strengths is its feeling of being the complete package, developer Team Asobi has already confirmed that free DLC is on the way, and fans have just been given their first trailer for it.

Shown during Sony's recent State of Play, Astro Bot's free DLC will be heading to the game this Fall, though an exact date hasn't been confirmed just yet. Thankfully, Team Asobi has been a bit more forthcoming with the DLC's contents, with the recent trailer showcasing just about everything fans can expect to see.

Astro Bot's Upcoming Free DLC Explained

Five New Online Speedrun Levels

The real meat and potatoes of Astro Bot's upcoming free DLC, players will soon have access to five new stages, but they're unlike any stages that can be found in Astro Bot's base game. These five new stages are all speedrunning levels that encourage the player to reach the finish line as fast as possible.

Based on the trailer, it seems as though players' speed will determine if they rescue the stage's two Bots. Throughout the level, players will be accompanied by a blue and a red bird. If the birds reach the end of the stage before the player, they'll seemingly set off a firework attached to a Bot, launching that character into deep space and stopping the player from rescuing them. To rescue both Bots, players will need to finish the stage before the two birds do.

Astro Bot's DLC trailer has also seemingly already teased four of the five new speedrun stages. Fans can expect to see an icy stage that has them wielding the elephant backpack that can shoot out platforms, a construction site stage set in the clouds that has players using the rocket-powered dog backpack, a stage that has players exploring a set of watery ruins with the frog gloves, and a trap-filled stage that sees the player climbing with the monkey gloves.

Astro Bot's upcoming speedrun levels will feature online leaderboards.

10 New Bots to Rescue

Astro Bot's free DLC will also be coming with 10 new Bots to rescue, presumably being split into two per speedrun stage. The two Bots confirmed during the trailer were Stellar Blade's Eve and a titular Super Earth veteran from Helldivers 2. The unlockable items associated with these characters have also seemingly been confirmed, with Eve coming with a vending machine that references Stellar Blade's collectible cans that increase the player's inventory, and the Helldiver coming with a flag of Super Earth that references Helldivers 2's box art.

The other 8 unlockable Bots' identities haven't been confirmed yet, though it seems likely that they'll be cameo characters as well. While many fans are still holding out hope that they'll see Final Fantasy characters in Astro Bot – with none appearing in the base game at all – it seems much more likely that the game's end credits have already spoiled who's coming.

According to Astro Bot's end credits, Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed, Beyond Good and Evil, and Rayman could all be referenced in the DLC, as could Rise of the Ronin, Worms, and even mascot platformer Croc. These appearances seem even more likely given that Stellar Blade was thanked in Astro Bot's credits and Eve is appearing in the DLC.