How to start the Burning Shores DLC in Horizon Forbidden West

By Jesse Lennox Published April 19, 2023

Aloy’s adventure wasn’t fully concluded at the end of Horizon Forbidden West, but you don’t have to wait for the third game to continue her journey. With the Burning Shores DLC, a brand new region is unlocked. This area is home to the Quen tribe and brings in a new character named Seyka to accompany Aloy on a new quest. Of course, there will also be tons of sidequests, new machines to hunt, and sights to see. If you’re interested in exploring this new and dangerous region, there are some requirements you should know about that could prevent you from jumping in as quickly as you think. Here’s everything you need to know about how to start the Burning Shores DLC in Horizon Forbidden West.

How to start the Burning Shores DLC

Aloy riding a machine in the sky over LA. — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The major requirement for accessing the new content (outside of purchasing it, of course) is that this takes place after the main campaign, unlike the DLC for the first game that could be accessed in the middle of the story. This means that you need to have gotten through all main story missions ending in “Singularity.” Your save must be at this point to access the DLC. If you finished the game and started a New Game + run, but haven’t gotten back up to that point, you won’t be able to start the DLC until you get there again. The final mission of the game has a recommended level of 35, while the first mission of Burning Shores is 38, so you may want to do some side activities beforehand if you are underleveled.

Recommended Videos

It is also important to note that this DLC is exclusive to the PlayStation 5 version of the game. If you own Horizon: Forbidden West on the PS4, you won’t be able to activate or play it on that console, unfortunately.

If you meet these requirements, upon starting up your save file with the DLC downloaded, Aloy will receive a call on her Focus from Sylens asking to meet him at Tilda’s mansion to begin the first quest of the DLC.

Jesse Lennox has been a writer at Digital Trends for over four years and has no plans of stopping. He covers all things…

Gaming

How to fast travel in Spider-Man 2

A fleet of drones flying towards new york.

There are few games that are as fun to simply move around in as Marvel's Spider-Man 2. Between the silky smooth swinging and new wingsuits, the expanded New York map is a Spider-Man's playground. However, with the addition of an all-new section of the map, getting all the way from one end to the other will start to become a time-consuming process. As fun as traversal is, there will be times when you're doing sidequests or cleaning up collectibles that you'll just want to get where you need to be and skip the trip. Spider-Man 2 pushes the PlayStation 5's SSD to the limits with near-instant fast travel, but it takes a bit of work before you're able to use it.
How to unlock fast travel

Fast travel is not only locked by default, but must be earned for each of the game's individual boroughs. Each section of the map has a completion ranking that fills up as you perform activities within it, such as sidequests, photo-ops, Marko's Memories, stop crimes, and more. Each will boost the total level, with three rewards tied to set points. The first will give you some Rare Tech Parts, but it's the second one we're after. Once you hit about 50% completion, you will unlock the option to fast travel in that specific zone. You will need to repeat the process for each borough to fully unlock the map.

Gaming

Cyberpunk 2077: How to start Phantom Liberty DLC

A pyramid from Cyberpunk 2077.

The rehabilitation of Cyberpunk 2077 finally culminates in both the release of the 2.0 update and the substantial DLC expansion called Phantom Liberty. Between these two, plus all the changes made in the years since launch, the once unstable and buggy game is finally living up to its potential. While everything up until this point has been free, including the 2.0 changes, Phantom Liberty is the first and only piece of paid content. Giving players an entirely new area in Dogtown to explore, plus a lengthy main story and tons of new side missions, it's the biggest reason to reinstall this ambitious title. But how exactly can you start the DLC since it is meant to slot into the story of the main game rather than take place before or after? We've hacked in and downloaded all the data you need on how to start the Phantom Liberty DLC.
How to start Phantom Liberty
There are actually a few different ways to get into Phantom Liberty depending on your preference and whether or not you've played the base game. The easiest way to get directly into it is through the main menu. With the DLC installed, you will have an option to jump directly into the expansion, even if you haven't played the main game yet. This sounds great for those who want to see the new stuff right away, but it isn't recommended if you haven't played the base game at all. You will be given a character automatically leveled up and placed at the proper point in the story for the DLC to take place with no context or tutorial on how to play. Note that picking this option doesn't lock you out of any of the base game content.

For new players who want to experience Phantom Liberty more naturally, you will need to play the opening hours of Cyberpunk 2077 until you complete the "Transmission" mission before the quest that starts the DLC will trigger.

Gaming

How to start The Teal Mask DLC in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Key art featuring new characters and Pokémon that are in The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero: The Teal Mask.

The first of two announced DLC expansions for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet has hit, called The Teal Mask. Both DLCs will introduce new places, items, moves, and, most importantly, Pokémon to catch, train, and befriend. This initial adventure will take your trainer to the Land of Kitakami, but excited trainers might be at a loss for how to actually access the new area and content. Because it's integrated directly into the main game, and not an option you can select from the menu, you will need to know how to reach the DLC. This won't take long, so here's how to access The Teal Mask in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet so you can continue your Pokémon journey.
How to access The Teal Mask DLC

After purchasing and installing the DLC for your specific version of Pokémon Scarlet or Violet, either load up your save or start a new game. You will need to either play up through, or have a save already past, The First Day of School chapter. Once you are past that point, you will automatically get a call from Jacq telling you about an annual trip to Kitakami that you, as it just so happens, will be chosen to attend.