What’s new in Final Fantasy 16 Echoes of the Fallen DLC?

The first half of Final Fantasy 16’s DLC expansion pass is already out, but Square Enix seems to have purposefully kept a tight lid on what exactly it contains. The announcement trailer is barely over a minute and a half long and only provides brief snippets of the DLC’s story content.

So, we’ve scrounged up what little info Square Enix and Sony have shared, and compiled it below for you to consider before deciding to spend money on Echoes of the Fallen.

What is the story in Final Fantasy 16 Echoes of the Fallen?

Echoes of the Fallen’s new story content takes place before the end of the game. It begins with protagonist Clive and his companions investigating dark crystals being sold on the black market. This soon leads to an encounter with a suspicious band of traders and an abandoned Fallen tower called the Sagespire, which contains “terrible secrets.”

The trailer also mentions Eikonoclasts, which were “great and terrible” weapons that the eikons (aka the big summon monsters) “derive their names.” Perhaps these weapons are contained within the tower, and should someone get their hands on them, it could be a catastrophe.

The tower itself is likely where the majority of the DLC takes place and will contain encounters with new enemies. The trailer teases two such examples: Sigma and Omega Aionios. Considering the latter shares its name with a pair of recurring Final Fantasy superbosses—Omega and Omega Weapon—maybe these are the Eikonoclasts Clive and co. are warned of.

How to unlock the Echoes of the Fallen DLC

The quest that triggers the Echoes of the Fallen storyline won’t be available until after you’ve unlocked Origin on the world map. This is the final area of the game, so newcomers need to progress through almost the entire main story before they can start the DLC. You’ll also need to have completed the “Where There’s a Will” and “Priceless” side quests.

Are there any purchase bonuses for Echoes of the Fallen?

Anyone who buys the DLC will receive a new weapon—Cloud Strife’s iconic Buster Sword from Final Fantasy 7—as well as a new piece of background music for the hideaway hub area. Called the “Away (1987) Orchestrion Roll,” it’s presumably a chip-tune version of the “Away” theme from the main game.

Will there be any more DLC for Final Fantasy 16?

Yes, a second expansion titled The Rising Tide is scheduled to release in spring 2024, although details on that are even more sparse. You can purchase the full expansion pass for $24.99/£19.99, or you can buy Echoes of the Fallen on its own for $9.99/£7.99.