When Should You Play Frozen Wilds DLC

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered offers exceptional value for your money. For just a $10 upgrade, you get a major graphical enhancement, improved facial animations, new accessibility features, and much more. These improvements apply not only to the base game but also carry over to its fantastic DLC, The Frozen Wilds.

Players can dive into The Frozen Wilds fairly early in the game, which raises a common question: When is the best time to start the expansion to maximize the experience? The answer isn’t straightforward, but the guide below breaks down the ideal timing for exploring this content.

When To Start The Frozen Wilds Expansion in Horizon Zero Dawn

If you follow the quest that leads you to the Frozen Wilds area in Horizon Zero Dawn, you’ll encounter a formidable new foe: the Scorcher. This aptly named machine is tough as nails and fast as a rabbit, capable of leaping great distances and dealing heavy fire damage. Facing the Scorcher isn’t just for show; it’s the developers’ way of testing your skills to see if you’re ready for the challenges ahead.

Once you defeat it, you gain access to the DLC area and can start exploring. While you can technically enter the DLC early, the developers recommend reaching at least level 30 first, and for good reason — the Frozen Wilds DLC is much tougher than the base game. However, it also provides a host of powerful new weapons that make it worthwhile to play before finishing the main story.

These additional weapons are the main reason to play Frozen Wilds DLC before completing the base game. Don’t worry about spoilers as the main game and DLC follow separate storylines. But from a narrative perspective, it’s best to begin Frozen Wilds after completing the Maker’s End main quest.

Once
Aloy is equipped with strong armor
and weapons, try facing the DLC boss to test your readiness. If you manage to defeat it, then you’re prepared to dive into the rest of the
Frozen Wilds
content.

New Weapons in Frozen Wilds DLC

As you progress through the DLC, you’ll gain access to three powerful new weapons, listed below. These weapons are a big reason to play the Frozen Wilds before finishing the main game, as you can bring them back into the base game to help with tougher encounters. With these added tools, dealing with HADES will become a bit easier. You’ll also have the option to acquire the Banuk variants of the following weapons.

New Weapons in the Frozen Wilds DLC:

• Forgefire
• Icerail
• Stormslinger

Banuk Weapon Variants:

• Banuk Champion Bow
• Banuk Powershot Bow
• Banuk Striker Bow