It was always obvious that Ghostwire: Tokyo would make its way to Xbox platform after coming out on PlayStation 5 and PC in March 2022, given that its developer is owned by Xbox. And now, Tango Gameworks has confirmed as much, as the fantastical shooter is releasing on Xbox Series X|S and Game Pass on April 12. However, it’s also launching with a giant update that will add a ton of new features across all platforms.
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The biggest feature of this patch, dubbed the Spider’s Thread update, is the roguelite mode, which is what gives the update its namesake. The Spider’s Thread is a new mode on the main menu that tasks players with conquering a gauntlet floor by floor. Each gauntlet has 30 stages that are picked from a pool of 130 handcrafted ones. Progressing and completing challenges unlocks upgrades, a portion of which players will keep upon death. Death does, however, mean players have to start from the first floor.
The update also adds new areas to the main campaign — including a haunted middle school — and more bits of narrative. Some cutscenes will have additional interactions between Akito and KK and yield more “insight into the plot.” The story was widely panned, so it’s possible that this is a reaction to those criticisms. And for those who don’t want to be as scared pillaging through a ghost-filled school, there is also a new “Reduce Horror Effects” option that replaces certain “psychic effects” with “Shiibuya Hachi” stickers. But it’s unclear exactly what those stickers are.
Combat has even seen its share of augments. There’s a new quick dodge, perfect block counter attack, “aerial abilities,” the ability to augment the base melee attack with elemental effects, and new talismans that can refill the player’s Ether or allow them to reach high places through a well-placed whirlwind. These come alongside some more enemy types, as seen in the above picture, like the quick Retribution, “high-flying” Sanguine Dancer, and the sneaky Silent Gaze, which can turn invisible. Tango did not show these in action nor did it provide more than those short descriptors.
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Ghostwire: Tokyo‘s Photo Mode is getting more features, too. There are new stamps and character models that players can use to customize their pictures. The models are unlocked by spending Meika, the game’s currency, at the various capsule machines peppered around Tokyo.
There’s more to this update, but Tango said these features are “worth keeping secret” for now because good ghost stories have a little bit of mystery to them.