Obsidian Entertainment will release Side Effects Guaranteed, the first story expansion for The Outer Worlds 2, on December 2 for $14.99 on Xbox Series X|S, PS5 and PC. The announcement landed on Xbox Wire on November 10.
Side Effects Guaranteed is part one of a two-part narrative expansion. The DLC adds the new region of Elysium Valley on the planet Eden, with unique quests and new facilities, and raises the level cap from 30 to 36, giving players more skill points to broaden their builds. Xbox Wire’s post states that part one “will release on December 2 for $14.99, or is available in the Premium Edition or Premium Edition Upgrade for The Outer Worlds 2.”
What Side Effects Guaranteed adds
Alongside the level cap increase, the DLC adds more than 15 new perks and four new Flaws, including Excessive Shrinkage, which reduces the player’s size. New threats in Elysium Valley include vicious canids and primal sprats, which Xbox Wire describes as “just a normal sprat, but about 100 times the size.”
PlayStation.Blog’s companion announcement adds that the expansion brings five new weapons, including the Immobilizer, a gun that suspends its target in midair so players can switch weapons and finish them off. A Sub Rosa-run radio station adds 20 new songs, new gear is available for each companion, and a level-27 pre-made character lets players jump straight into the DLC without finishing the main story.
The story reportedly has players working with one of two agents from Sub Rosa, a minor faction in the game, to decide the fate of the hibernating crew of a derelict ship. The DLC’s events trigger just before the point of no return in the main game, and PlayStation.Blog says choices made in part one will directly impact the next DLC.
A year-old promise kept
The Outer Worlds 2 launched on October 29, 2025, and DLC was promised pre-launch as part of the game’s $100 Premium Edition. Game director Brandon Adler told GamesRadar+ that the studio may lean further into minor factions going forward: “Maybe we’ll lean a bit harder into some of the more minor factions, like Sub Rosa, and build them out a little bit.”
Part two of the expansion is scheduled for spring 2027, with no price announced for it yet.
