InXile’s David Rogers took the stage at today’s Xbox Gamescom showcase to talk about the second expansion for Wasteland 3. Dubbed Cult of the Holy Detonation, this new experience will bring players within Cheyenne Mountain to access a secret military base designed to survive nuclear winter and harbors a powerful weapon that locals are fighting over.
Two warring factions of cultists are trying to take hold of “the Holy Detonation,” a prewar science experiment these groups worship as a god. Like any other Wasteland experience, you’re free to choose how to interact with the scenario. “You decide who lives, who dies, who’s gets screwed over, who takes charge,” said Rogers when describing choices players can make in the expansion.
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Rogers describes the new expansion as a dungeon crawl, and something players haven’t seen so far in Wasteland 3. It’s an experience built with mystery and exploration in mind and has some of the biggest boss battles InXile has made for the series. These boss encounters bring a different kind of gameplay than previous Wasteland experiences by prioritizing finishing specific objectives while in combat. Rogers describes it as “not about killing. It’s about getting the job done.” Conflicts will not end until the mission objectives have been satisfied.
Missions you’ll go on feature scenarios such as prison breaks and disrupting cultist rituals. Rogers promises these new missions will make players coordinate like never before. Players will also talk to and even befriend some of the cultists. One described during the show was a mutated, drooling beast that turns out to be a pleasant and welcoming character, who may even invite you to join their cult and help take over the mountain.
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Cult of The Holy Detonation will be released on October 5 for Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Those with Game Pass will have access to the base game and will only have to pay $19.99 for the expansion pass. Players without Microsoft’s subscription can buy Wasteland 3: The Colorado Collection, featuring the full game and both expansions, for $59.99.