Overview
- Xbox Game Studios and Obsidian announced on Tuesday that Side Effects Guaranteed will arrive December 2 for $14.99 and will be sold standalone or included with the Premium Edition and Premium Edition Upgrade across PS5, Xbox Series and PC with the base game available on Game Pass.
- The DLC opens when the Incognito answers a distress call to a derelict ship and finds a crew in suspended animation infected by a substance that causes explosive cell death, sending players to the new region Elysium Valley to investigate.
- New gameplay and progression updates raise the level cap from 30 to 36, add more than 15 perks and four new character flaws, introduce new weapons, armor and companion outfits, add a Sub Rosa radio station with 20 songs, and include an alternate start to jump straight into the expansion.
- Side Effects Guaranteed is the first of a two‑part narrative expansion with player choices carrying over into the second chapter scheduled for Spring 2027, linking decisions across both releases.
- The announcement addresses community concern after reported layoffs and Obsidian’s integration with Bethesda by confirming at least partial delivery of promised content, but observers say the studio’s shift toward a new Fallout project leaves the scope of later expansions uncertain.