New Game Plus (XC2)

New Game Plus is a feature of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 added in Patch (Ver.1.3.0.) on March 2nd, 2018. It allows the player to start a new playthrough of the game with several changes. This can be repeated indefinitely, though further cycles have no additional properties.

What Carries Over

 * Driver's s.
 * Equipment and advancement of Drivers and s.
 * Blades will retain all Trust, Nodes, equipped Aux Cores, and equipped Core Chips.
 * Drivers will retain all WP,, Affinity Chart Nodes, Driver Art levels, and equipped Accessories.
 * Bonded Blades that are not essential to the game's plot
 * All Pouch Items.
 * All s.
 * Area Dev Levels.
 * Purchased Shop Deeds.
 * Merc Group rank.
 * Unlocked Merc Missions.
 * Unlocked cutscenes in the Event Theater.
 * defeated status and records.
 * Any Unique Monsters defeated prior to starting New Game Plus can still be summoned through their tombstone, even if they would normally be unable to challenge by the player's current point in the story.
 * All Challenge Battle Mode records.
 * Recorded play time.
 * Recorded play time.

What Does Not Carry Over

 * All s, s, and points will be reset.
 * Any previously completed Quests or Heart-to-Hearts will still be counted as complete on Blade Affinity Charts.
 * All completed Merc Missions.
 * Any previously completed Merc Missions will still be counted as complete on Blade Affinity Charts.
 * Any Previously opened s.
 * This allows otherwise finite items, such as Dilaton Chips, to be obtained infinitely by completing additional runs in New Game Plus.
 * All s directly tied to story or quest progression.
 * Rex's Salvager Rank.
 * Rex's Master Driver ability.
 * Any Blades currently engaged on Rex through the use of his Master Driver ability when New Game Plus is started will be returned to their original Driver.
 * ,, Catalyst and the Unnamed Core Crystal's Blade will be unavailable.
 * Once the player progresses far enough through the story, all three Blades will be available again with all their prior progress.
 * will lose access to and.
 * If Tora had previously unlocked Poppi QTπ, then she will be obtained at the same time as Poppi QT.

New Features

 * now has access to a Level Special.
 * Seven new Rare Blades from can be resonated with.
 * ,, , , , and can be obtained from random Core Crystals.
 * can be obtained after the events of Chapter 9 by talking to him at Megaflote Base. He will then resonate with the Driver who talks to him.
 * All Legendary Blades can now be dispatched on Merc Missions.
 * If a currently dispatched Blade is necessary for story progression, they will be removed from their current Merc Group.
 * Dispatching any form of Poppi will cause Tora to be locked out of the active party until she returns. Furthermore, only one form of Poppi may be dispatched at any time.
 * Dispatching Catalyst will cause Nia to be locked out of the active party until she returns.
 * All Drivers unlock their hidden Affinity Chart.
 * These charts contain powerful, but expensive, abilities such as 's Eye of Shining Justice.
 * A Driver's Level can now be lowered at an inn. The lost experience is refunded as Bonus EXP.
 * Traveling Bards will now appear at various locations throughout Alrest.
 * Traveling Bards will sell the player useful items in exchange for Bonus EXP.

Other Changes

 * Rex will now start the game with or  already engaged.
 * Rex can also swap between Pyra and Mythra, as well as access Pneuma, from the start of the game.
 * The can be accessed through a portal outside of the Chairman's Room in the Argentum Trade Guild until Chapter 4.

Trivia

 * Since Rex will always start New Game Plus with Pyra and Mythra, it is impossible for him to obtain the broadsword again.
 * The version of used during Ancient Ship segment of Chapter 1 is considered a separate character from the version of  used in the Land of Morytha segment of Chapter 8, as such any experience gained on one will not carry over to the other.
 * Despite the fact that is only available for one Chapter, he still possesses a hidden affinity chart.
 * Vandham has unique dialogue for completing Roc's Affinity Chart. Since Roc cannot progress his Affinity Chart until after Chapter 3, this dialogue can only be heard in New Game Plus.