Astro Bot devs follow up a strong launch with free DLC teases including more VIP bots to rescue and speedrun levels

Astro Bot
(Image credit: Sony)

Astro Bot is following up a hot launch with even more content, as its director confirms we're getting free Astro Bot DLC that includes challenge levels, leaderboards, new VIP bots, and more.

Speaking to Quest Daily, studio director Nicolas Doucet confirms that we're getting another content helping this year for the lowly sum of nothing. While Doucet is keen to set expectations by saying it'll be small – not "huge" – there are still a few much-requested bits on the way.

We're getting speedrun levels for the perfectionists, complete with leaderboards and some new VIP bots to rescue. The latter point is interesting, as eagle-eyed fans have already noticed that the game's credits hint at content for Assassin's Creed, Stellar Blade, Worms, and Rayman that we've yet to see. Who knows, given Doucet's comments, we may be seeing VIP bots based on those games sooner rather than later.

Even more in the realm of teasers, Doucet also says we may get something a bit more "toy" related that'll be for everyone – which is fair considering not everyone will be speedrunning Astro Bot. He's unsure if that'll make the free content drop, so we'll have to wait and see.

Regardless, the Astro Bot team will likely find a few players keen to jump back in. The platformer has launched to oodles of rave reviews, including our own. Our Astro Bot review gives the game a perfect score, saying it "Soars above and beyond to serve up a near-perfect platformer."

"Astro Bot doesn't just deliver on the promise and potential displayed in PS5 pack-in demo Astro's Playroom, but soars above and beyond to serve up a near-perfect platformer to rival – and possibly surpass – the best of Super Mario's Mushroom Kingdom romps."

Astro Bot devs ditched an "expansive" open-world game because a "two-course meal" beats eating "a lot of food at a buffet."

Deputy News Editor

Iain joins the GamesRadar team as Deputy News Editor following stints at PCGamesN and PocketGamer.Biz, with some freelance for Kotaku UK, RockPaperShotgun, and VG24/7 thrown in for good measure. When not helping Ali run the news team, he can be found digging into communities for stories – the sillier the better. When he isn’t pillaging the depths of Final Fantasy 14 for a swanky new hat, you’ll find him amassing an army of Pokemon plushies.

Read more
Astro Bot
Astro Bot director says precisely what the industry needs to hear: "It's OK to make a small game" because "players today have a backlog of games" they can't complete
A Helldivers-inspired bot in Astro Bot placing a flag into the ground.
After Helldivers 2 and Astro Bot success, live service and family games are genres PlayStation wants to "expand in the future"
Ape Escape
After Astro Bot paid tribute to dormant classics, PlayStation's CEO is "looking at opportunities to leverage past IP"
A little bot in a Gex costume adorably waving his arms as he watches TV with a bucket of popcorn on his lap. I hope nobody knocks it over
Former Nintendo boss says "I have to admit it," Astro Bot "almost outdid Nintendo at its own game"
Product image of the disc edition PS5 Slim Astro Bot bundle on top of key art from the Astro Bot game.
Sony just dropped new PS5 Astro Bot console bundles with the best savings I've seen in a year
Helldivers 2
Helldivers 2 has an endgame problem, but a developer assures us "things are coming," they just can't say what yet because otherwise our expectations will be too high
Latest in Platformer
Donkey Kong in newly shared gameplay of what seems to be mario kart 9
"This is unlike Nintendo": Former marketer thinks Mario Kart being a Switch 2 launch game isn't as ideal as OG Switch's Breath of the Wild combo
Animal Well screenshot, captured on PC
After his excellent debut Metroidvania took 7 years, Animal Well's solo dev says his next game shouldn't "take nearly as long"
Crash Bandicoot PS1
Former Sony exec Shuhei Yoshida says the PlayStation marketing team had to completely redesign Crash Bandicoot in PS1 commercials because he was too ugly for the Japanese market
Astro Bot
Astro Bot director says precisely what the industry needs to hear: "It's OK to make a small game" because "players today have a backlog of games" they can't complete
Sonic and Shadow clash in front of the moon in Sonic X Shadow Generations
Sonic gets an official lore timeline that goes "tens of thousands of years" into the past and 200 years into the future, and somehow canonizes a party game spin-off
Super Mario 64
Blindfolded Super Mario 64 speedrunner declares "70 Star is DEAD" after he "absolutely obliterated" his old record
Latest in News
The T6 Power Armor
I'm about to spend over $400 on this iconic T60 Power Armor figurine because "Communism is the very definition of failure"
A large, muscly bloke eating noodles at a bar while two people point pistols at him from behind in Cyberpunk 2077.
The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 developer enters into partnership with Pokemon Go owner to create a new game "set within one of CD Projekt's IPs"
Owen Cooper in Adolescence
Sorry, Adolescence season 2 isn't happening, despite its 99% Rotten Tomatoes score and record-breaking Netflix audience
Daredevil: Born Again episode 6
Daredevil: Born Again's long-awaited moment has been called "pure cinema" featuring one of the "best lines in comic book movie history"
Daredevil looking mean and moody.
Daredevil: Born Again episode 5 just nodded to Thanos and the Avengers movies in the most obscure way
The Fantastic Four: First Steps cast assemble
Fantastic Four star says the Marvel movie "will go down in history" for rejuvenating the MCU, "in the same way the Guardians of the Galaxy and Black Panther hit"