expansion pass Given the early release of Wave 2, when do you think Waves 3 and 4 will release?

[DefyingFates]

Maybe this post isn't a good idea, but I've seen this come up in other places so wondered if such a conversation would be worth having here too.

Fire Emblem Three Houses' DLC released over the course of 8 months, with Cindered Shadows only being revealed a month before it came out in February. On the other hand, the 3DS trilogy's DLCs came out within a few months of the actual games' releases (Echoes' DLC in particular only took a bit over a month).

Now, not only did Engage get Wave 2 of 4 less than 3 weeks after release, we also got a trailer for Wave 3 and - most importantly - Wave 4. This combined with the old leaks saying Engage was completed a year ago makes me wonder if it's taking the 3DS route for DLC too. Of course we'll probably get a "proper" Wave 4 trailer down the line, but that we've already seen stuff from it at all is a far cry from Three Houses which played everything regarding its DLC close to the chest.

For my second point: remember how we barely got any Engage news until Pokemon SV came out, at which point we got near daily updates? Well, Zelda: TotK releases in early May so we may get a similar situation again, with Nintendo wanting to get everything Engage out of the way before Zelda takes up their playerbase's headspace.

...or Wave 4 could get dropped in the summer, once the initial Zelda fervor dies down, that could happen too.

So... yeah. This post is likely just the result of me being too wound up and wanting to talk to someone about this, but considering this is a hot spot for people who know a lot about FE I figured it was also the best place to do so. Sorry if this comes off as a ramble, but I'd really love to hear what you all have to say. Thank you for your time!

Edited February 25, 2023 by DefyingFates

[lenticular]

I don't know when the rest of the DLC will release, but I don't think there's much value in comparing with the Three Houses DLC. For Three Houses, the initial release date was pushed back several times, there are various indications that a lot of planned content didn't make it into the game due to time constraints, and then there were some pretty sizable free content patches post-launch (playable Jeritza and Maddening mode, for instance). I think it's very likely that the release schedule for its DLC was based more on when they finished making it than anything else. That doesn't seem that it's going to be the case here, so I don't think there's any compelling reason to believe they'll follow a similar schedule.

[Yexin]

i kind of expect Wave 3 to be released late spring and Wave 4 either late summer or early/half fall

i'm not really taking how little time it took for them to release Wave 1 and 2, i think they're exceptions

[DefyingFates]

37 minutes ago, Yexin said:

i think they're exceptions

How so, if you don't mind my asking? I'm just curious about your reasoning.

1 hour ago, lenticular said:

and then there were some pretty sizable free content patches post-launch (playable Jeritza and Maddening mode, for instance)

I forgot about this initially, but you're right that there could be more free content on the way too. If IS wants to release free stuff alongside Wave 3, that could possibly create another bottleneck based on whether any one of them is significantly further along in development than the other.

[Yexin]

1 hour ago, DefyingFates said:

How so, if you don't mind my asking? I'm just curious about your reasoning.

most honest answer is "it's just a gut feeling"

if i were to elaborate, i'd say i feel like they already had Wave 1 and 2 pretty much ready to be released when the game itself launched, but i don't expect them to be THAT in advance, mostly due to Wave 4

i agree that Wave 3 could release in like a month, being it just 2 more Emblem Bracelets (as far as i know), but i expect Wave 4 to take at least 3 months to release after Wave 3

[Punished Dayni]

1 hour ago, DefyingFates said:

How so, if you don't mind my asking? I'm just curious about your reasoning.

From what I recall, there was a leak from the internal data that revealed the DLC emblems' identities, which has been argued as why the reveal for both waves were made during the direct 2 weeks ago.

For all we know that might have always been the plan, but I know less than they did.

But that aside, Maddening being out at launch unlike with 3H does make me suspect that there's not going to be much in the way of delays due to work on post-launch content.

[Viberum]

Since Wave 2 was released like three weeks after launch, I actually expect Wave 3 to release next week xD. I’m also assuming Wave 4 will be released three weeks after that too.

For some reason I think they want the dlc to be all out before they announce their next fe game in the summer.

[Seazas]

They're going to release quickly. Wave 4 already has footage and we know from the datamines that it's already completely designed and done more or less. The new characters already have their bond conversations set up and voice acting completed in not just Japanese but ENGLISH as well. That signifies that they're far more done with Wave 4 than it seems.

[DefyingFates]

25 minutes ago, Seazas said:

They're going to release quickly. Wave 4 already has footage and we know from the datamines that it's already completely designed and done more or less. The new characters already have their bond conversations set up and voice acting completed in not just Japanese but ENGLISH as well. That signifies that they're far more done with Wave 4 than it seems.

Given FE has been pushing for simultaneous releases since Three Houses, this is a good point I hadn't considered (I think I'm too used to other JRPGs).

Which is funny because a little while ago I had an epiphany that not only is May going to be out of bounds (because Zelda) but a significant part of April will be too, so Engage only has ~2 months of time left of relevancy which would definitely be enough for Wave 3 but maybe not Wave 4 despite my earlier comment.

But now you've switched me back to thinking both Waves will come out earlier than expected. I'm not sure if getting my hopes up like that is a good thing or not, but... thanks all the same!

And yeah, at this point I think I'm just going to bite the bullet and get the Expansion Pass xD

[SureStrike]

as others have said, i think the fact that the story DLC is already pretty much done and (based off of the datamines) already fully voiced in english points to it coming out sooner rather than later. there's no reason for them to just sit on completed game content, especially when other big releases are coming soon that nintendo will want to focus on like the new zelda. i think the expansion pass will be fully released before mid-april since totk is so anticipated and they won't want anything to distract from it. i expect wave 3 in early or mid march and wave 4 in early april. i think that sort of spacing would make sense since it gives them something to release monthly, while also getting the waves out pretty quickly and before zelda in may.

i also think this release schedule could line up nicely with the rumored fe4 remake. the rumors claim that its been in development for a while and it could be the unknown "iron18" as referenced in engage's code, so it's probably somewhat close to being done. if all of the DLC for engage has been released already, then they could reveal it at the june direct slated for a late 2023 or early 2024 release without worrying about it affecting engage's DLC sales. of course, this is all assuming that the fe4 remake rumor is true which is a bit of a reach, but i personally (and naively probably) believe it.

Edited February 26, 2023 by SureStrike

[Use the Falchion]

Someone on Reddit posited that Wave 3 should release in March and Wave 4 in April. I think that's a good timeline and one that many here echo, but I can also see Wave 3 and 4 releasing in March. We could have Wave 3 as early as next week but no later than the second week of March, and then Wave 4 in the final week of March, depending on when the promotion for TotK starts. I think at the latest it'll come out by the first week of April. Nintendo will need at least the second week of April up until release in the second week of May to get a full month. Given that this is THE Zelda game, I can see them extending promotion to the entire month of April, which would move the Wave 4 release to the end of March. 

For the rumored FE4 remake, this works out pretty well as also, depending on when they want to announce and release it. (Early 2024 is likely, but if Nintendo has the sequel to the Switch ready to go and wants to start selling in 2024, and the FE4 remake isn't a dual platform game, then we may see it Fall 2023. That's unlikely but not impossible imo.)

[SureStrike]

5 hours ago, Use the Falchion said:

I can also see Wave 3 and 4 releasing in March. We could have Wave 3 as early as next week but no later than the second week of March, and then Wave 4 in the final week of March, depending on when the promotion for TotK starts. I think at the latest it'll come out by the first week of April. Nintendo will need at least the second week of April up until release in the second week of May to get a full month. Given that this is THE Zelda game, I can see them extending promotion to the entire month of April, which would move the Wave 4 release to the end of March. 

i totally agree with this and i think whether or not wave 3 releases this week will tell us a lot. if it drops on march 1st, then i think we can assume that IS is following an "every three weeks" schedule for the DLC since that will be exactly 3 weeks from wave 2's release on feb 8th which was almost exactly 3 weeks after wave 1 and engage's release. i think its pretty safe to expect wave 4 on march 22nd (or at least around that time) if we get wave 3 this week. ofc IS could still throw us a curveball especially since wave 4 is story DLC vs just emblems and costumes, but i think it's likely that they want the whole expansion pack out while engage is still being talked about before TOTK's big marketing cycle like you mentioned. although tbh that could just be wishful thinking on my part since my spring break is at the end of march and i want time to play it. fingers crossed!

[DefyingFates]

9 hours ago, SureStrike said:

"iron18"

I didn't know about this before now but that's a really clever codename! Too bad Fire Emblem's initials aren't "AG"~

7 hours ago, Use the Falchion said:

Someone on Reddit posited that Wave 3 should release in March and Wave 4 in April.

Source, please? Was this just speculation or someone claiming to have insider knowledge?

2 hours ago, SureStrike said:

although tbh that could just be wishful thinking on my part since my spring break is at the end of march and i want time to play it. fingers crossed!

That would be awesome timing, I've got my fingers crossed for you too!

Also, while this may just be tinfoil hatting, I can't help but wonder if L!Robin's reveal today was meant to be cross-promotion for Wave 3 in which case it'd make a lot of sense for it to release soon to capitalize on him being added to FEH. We'll see, I guess.

[BloodRonin]

I hope it is sooner than later. I want to do a completely brand new file again (but with dlc only, no regular emblems)

[Speedy]

I will say, since I'm also playing Marvel Midnight Suns at the moment, cause right now they are basicaly releasing a DLC every month. So I am expecting any day they are going to announce release of wave 3, but it's solely based on the influence from a different game from a different developer. So absolutely unreasonable and most likely scenario is, that we have few months till we get more. 😄 

On the other hand, the trailer for the waves showed gameplay, so they are most likely pretty close to finishing and mayyybe we will get the dlcs sooner than later. We can only hope. 🙂

Edited February 27, 2023 by Speedy

[joevar]

if 3 houses takes 8 months, then big chance Engage can take less than that. maybe around 6 months.

considering wave 1-3 is basically the kind of DLC gamers worldwide kinda despised expected (content that could easily be inserted in base game without too much resource spent when making it, especially without context), while only the wave 4 is the true post game / all-new content this im sure the case. because the base game itself reported to have been finished way before launch time, so small stuff like wave 1-3 should be (almost) done even before launch date too, while leaving only wave 4 which is a new story content to worked on post launch.

[TheHBK]

4 hours ago, DefyingFates said:

Source, please? Was this just speculation or someone claiming to have insider knowledge?

I have no idea when the next waves will hit, but rumors have it the game was finished about a year ago and was "delayed" in accordance to Nintendo Schedule(tm), so I wouldn't be surprised it the DLC waves release earlier than what one would expect.

But we'll see.

Edited February 27, 2023 by TheHBK

[Use the Falchion]

11 hours ago, DefyingFates said:

Source, please? Was this just speculation or someone claiming to have insider knowledge?

I wish I could find it, but it was speculation. Sorry for the confusion!

[DefyingFates]

1 hour ago, Use the Falchion said:

I wish I could find it, but it was speculation. Sorry for the confusion!

Thanks for letting me know, no harm done!

[Kujja]

I hope today wave 3 since it marks the 3 weeks since last dlc but so far nothing also i think sooner then later cause they need to keep the hype alive else the game dies down (i also need my new game+) i beat the game 4 times already and im quite curious about the new emblems so gimme moar plz xD

[Azz]

I'm hoping for sooner rather than later. Considering how quickly Wave 2 dropped, I would be very surprised if by the end of May, we don't have all the DLC released. Hopefully Wave 3 will be sometime this month and Wave 4 next month.

Considering everything seems to be 90% done based on datamines and the trailer we got at the Direct, I think waiting to release them would be stupid tbh.

[Speedy]

Do you guys keep checking this topic in chance that someone just wrote: "It's here!" or something like that? XD

[Viberum]

I hope I’m right and it actually arrives this week lol. I just started my third playthrough recently.

[Speedy]

28 minutes ago, Viberum said:

I hope I’m right and it actually arrives this week lol. I just started my third playthrough recently.

Now I hope you are right too, cause in my run I'm just doing divine paralogues, so it would be nice to do them all at once. 😄

[SureStrike]

Ngl I was kind of bummed to wake up without an announcement this morning 😅 but I don't think that it means we won't still get wave 3 this week, since I think wave 2 only released on a Wednesday because of the direct. Looking at the DLC for three houses, its wave 3 released on a Friday. Does anyone know if the 3h DLC was announced beforehand or if it was shadow dropped (with the exception of Ashen Wolves ofc)? I can't remember.  It could give us insight on to whether we'll know in advance or if wave 3 is just gonna drop one day.