The new DLC, Secrets of the Spires, is now available for Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, exclusively for those with a Season Pass. This story expansion brings fresh achievements to unlock, an entirely new map area to explore, and an engaging new storyline. With this release, it appears we’ve reached the end of what we currently know about the game’s post-launch content. It’ll be interesting to see if this addition could elevate it to being recognized as one of the top open-world games on Xbox.
After a brief delay, Secrets of the Spires has launched today. It marks the second story expansion pack available to Season Pass holders for Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. Packed with five new Xbox achievements, this update demands about 17.5GB of space on your Xbox Series X|S. A major highlight is the new map area, the Spires of the Clouded Forest, accompanying new skills, gear, and a thrilling story campaign. While the DLC continues the main game’s journey, you can dive directly into Secrets of the Spires without completing the main story beforehand.
Ubisoft paints an enticing picture: “Epic aerial battles await in the Spires of the Clouded Forest, a spectacular new mountainous region in Pandora’s Western Frontier. Discover a fresh open world, enhancing the thrill of flying on your ikran,” they describe. The DLC invites players to disrupt RDA aerial convoys using new ikran skills and a brand-new mounted weapon while aligning with a secluded Na’vi clan confronting an RDA threat. The region’s verticality—filled with canyons and caves—promises a slew of lurking surprises.
We’ve already unlocked all five new achievements from Secrets of the Spires. Below, you’ll find a summary based on the latest patch notes.
Secrets of the Spires presents a new map area: Spires of the Clouded Forest. Enjoy a new story campaign and side quests, and participate in novel activities. Navigate biomes like the Tangled Peaks, Splintered Arches, and Warrior’s Rise. Strengthen your bond with your ikran, improving skills and gear. Face new aerial threats and refine your abilities to tackle them. Interact with diverse flora and fauna, learning new ways to gather resources and traverse Pandora!
Significant updates include being able to use skill points to unlock and upgrade ikran abilities like Ikran Smash and Launch. PlayStation 5 Pro users will notice a smoother experience with the new 60 FPS Quality Mode, leveraging the console’s improved hardware for higher FPS and rendering resolution, thanks to the PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) technology.
However, as with most updates, there are a few known issues. On PC, a temporary fix is in place for Windows 11 24H2, while on PS5, menu narration struggles to read “Additional Info” if the speed is below 1.80x. On all platforms, warnings may not clearly communicate the situation in co-op quests, and map icon loading can be sluggish. Other problems include missing design previews and occasional infinite loading after certain quests. Maintenance will be ongoing to address these bugs and enhance the experience.
As it stands, the future plans for Ubisoft’s Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora remain uncertain. We’ve had mixed outcomes with Ubisoft’s games this year, while Star Wars Outlaws is continuously being updated to polish its performance. The previous story pack, The Sky Breaker, took about six to eight hours to complete, so it’ll be intriguing to see how long Secrets of the Spires will keep us engaged.
Personally, I’m most eager to revisit the ikran elements of the game. But there’s still a question mark over the long-term allure of Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. Fans of the franchise will certainly love exploring Pandora, yet its standing in the larger gaming landscape remains to be seen.
There’s potential for Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora to enhance its appeal by expanding ikran-related content. The exhilarating experience of flying across Pandora was a standout in our initial review. Improvements in aerial combat will hopefully refine our ikran’s abilities and offer a richer gameplay experience.
