There were some doubts about whether Ubisoft could make magic with Nintendo’s biggest franchise ahead of the release ofMario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, but the game has proven to be anenormous hit with Switch owners. Now, the first major DLC package for the crossover has been released for season pass holders to enjoy.
The Ultra Challenge pack adds some brutally difficult new stages sure to test anyone who’s already cleared the main campaign inKingdom Battle. Two maps have been added to the Secret Area in each world, designed specifically to test the best players' abilities.
Beyond those single-player challenges, there’s also a brand new co-op campaign for players to take on alongside a friend. Cataclysm Kerfuffle sees a host of Chain Chomps, Tornados, Boos, and Pyroclasts running rampant and wreaking havoc over five maps designed for co-op play. Completing this campaign unlocks harder versions of each individual stage.
This content is the first of two major expansions forKingdom Battlethat were announced as part ofthe game’s season pass. We already knew that the second portion was scheduled to drop early next year, but previously the only specific information that we had been given was that it would feature “unexpected” story content. Now, we know it’s release date: January 16. 2018.
Kingdom Battlehas beensomething of an unexpected successfor Nintendo and Ubisoft, and players who raced through the base game are likely to be eager for more of its madcap strategy action. It will certainly be interesting to see whether there’s more to come beyond the DLC that comprises the season pass — this concept could flourish into a franchise all of its own, and neither studio is reticent to pursue sequels when there’s demand from players.
The Ultra Challenge DLC pack is being rolled out today across all regions, but some players have reported that a manual update is required to download the new content.
Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battleis available now for the Nintendo Switch.
