The Callisto Protocol Final Transmission DLC – What We Know So Far

Six months after its initial release, the Callisto Protocol is about to drop its first (and possibly only) story DLC, Final Transmission. The DLC, which will be available for free to those who purchased the deluxe editions of the game and any other season pass holders, will release as a timed exclusive for the PlayStation on June 27th, with PC and Xbox getting it two days later on the 29th. This story DLC will mark the last piece of content to be released as part of the Season Pass, following up two cosmetic bundles and the wave-defense “Contagion Mode,” and it also follows up several free updates like Hardcore Mode and dismemberment.

As for the DLC itself, Striking Distance Studios has been keeping a lot of things close to the chest (likely because players should expect some major narrative revelations to come out of Final Transmission), but they’ve been sure to show us some of the most interesting bits.

The most notable addition to the game, aside from the story content itself, will certainly be the introduction of a second melee weapon to the game: the Kinetic Hammer. This massive, powerful weapon is sure to pack a punch, as evidenced by the promotional images and several statements from developers. To quote the lead systems designer of the game, Paul, “…it obliterates everything it touches.” Yes, please.

But a new weapon in Jacob’s arsenal is not the only thing that the developers have announced. To contend with the power of the hammer, The Final Transmission brings on a new enemy: The Biophage Robot (or Biobot), a deadly new adversary that combines the brutal power of the Security Units with the organic, horrifying powers of the biophage, creating a biological terror encased within a shell of hard metal. It is sure to make a deadly enemy for Jacob, in addition to the promised (but as-of-yet elusive) final boss of the DLC, which is also meant to put Jacob’s (and the player’s) skill to the test.

You might’ve noticed, of course, what might be the biggest news related to this DLC already: Jacob’s fate. Spoilers for the end of the base game, but when we last saw Jacob, he wasn’t in a good place. After sending Dani Nakamura off on an escape pod, he was left to fend off a seemingly unstoppable horde of biophage in the office of Black Iron’s warden, Duncan Cole. After a brief interlude featuring Dani, however, we then cut to Jacob in some dark, unknown location, bloody and bruised by still alive. He wakes up to a hologram of Dr. Mahler — the scientific mind behind the prison and its biophage outbreak — asking for his help, right before a jump scare occurs to end the story on a cliffhanger.

Now, with Final Transmission, we will get to pick up where that left off, learning what Dr. Mahler wants from Jacob and seeing what becomes of our trucker-turned-prisoner-turned-badass as a result. In other words: the good news is that he is alive… but that seems to be the only good news. Especially given the sneak peek we’ve seen at what he has to face. While the developers have been careful not to reveal too much, it is certainly enough to beg a question: where is all this going? We will have to check out the DLC next week to find out.

Especially considering that this DLC has the official endorsement of PlayStation itself, despite the lackluster sales of the Callisto Protocol, it really might be worth checking out for anyone who was left wanting more after the base game. The Final Transmission DLC will release on June 26th for Playstation, and on June 28th for all other consoles. It will be free for Season Pass holders (including those who purchased the Deluxe edition of the game), and an unknown price for those without the Pass, and can be found on Steam here. See you back in Black Iron, prisoner.