Obsidian Entertainment and Xbox Game Studios announced on Monday (November 10, 2026) Side Effects Guaranteed, the first DLC for The Outer Worlds 2. The expansion launches on December 2, 2026, for $14.99, and is included in the game's Premium Edition and Premium Edition Upgrade.
It is the first chapter of a two-part narrative expansion: the second part is scheduled for spring 2027, and the choices made in this first part will directly affect the continuation.
A distress signal and a crew in suspended animation
The story begins with a distress signal from a derelict ship. On board, the Commander and the crew of the Incognito find the ship's crew in suspended animation — contaminated during a heist by something that causes "explosive cell death", or, in the captain's words in her video message, something more like liquefaction.
The message leads to Gordon Hazen, one of the leading agents of Sub Rosa, a criminal organization made up of people who prefer stealing from the factions to working for them. He sends the player to Elysium Valley, a new region on Eden that is home to a settlement of former Protectorate subjects, forgotten by their leaders — and who may hold the answer to saving the frozen crew. Another Sub Rosa agent, Algernon Lankester, wants to recruit the player to exploit those subjects for his own gain. The fate of the subjects, the crew and the future of Sub Rosa itself is left in the player's hands.
What else comes with the DLC
Alongside the new region and quests, the expansion brings new threats, such as vicious canids and "primal sprats" — versions roughly 100 times larger than the small sprats of Arcadia. The level cap rises from 30 to 36, with three extra perk slots and 15 new perks. Four new flaws are added, such as "Lethally Tolerant", which raises the character's maximum toxicity but causes instant death on a Toxicity Crash, and "Must Have Been the Wind", which marks an assassination target: killing it grants a 20% damage and speed buff, while failing applies a 10% penalty for 30 seconds.
There are also five new weapons — including the Immobilizer, which makes gravity fail around its target and leaves it hanging in the air — new armors, new outfits for each companion, and a Sub Rosa-run radio station with 20 new songs.
Free update on the same day
A free update arrives alongside the DLC for all players, with the option to respec the character at any time and custom game settings, such as adjusting the skill points earned per level-up. Players who want to jump straight into the action can also start the expansion from the main menu with a pre-made level 27 character.
The Outer Worlds 2 is available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. The DLC launches on all three platforms on December 2.
Image credit: official screenshot from the Side Effects Guaranteed DLC, by Obsidian Entertainment / Xbox Game Studios, via Xbox Wire.
Sources: Xbox Wire · PlayStation.Blog · Gematsu
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