Final Fantasy 15 December Update Out Now, Adds Character Swapping

A new update for Final Fantasy XV is now available on PS4 and Xbox One. Square Enix has rolled out the game's December patch ahead of its next DLC expansion, Episode Ignis, and it adds a notable new feature to the open-world RPG: character swapping.

With update 1.19, players will be able to switch between Noctis and his companions freely while in a battle. Previously, players were limited to playing through the game solely as Noctis, so this marks the first opportunity they'll have to control Prompto, Gladio, and Ignis during the main single-player quest. However, you'll need to unlock the ability to swap characters in the Ascension Grid before you're able to make use of it. You can see the new feature in action in the video below.

In addition to character swapping, Final Fantasy XV's December update fixes various bugs and adds several pieces of music from the Comrades multiplayer expansion as well as the forthcoming Episode Ignis to the music player tracklist. More notably, it also prepares the game for the release of Episode Ignis, which launches tomorrow, December 13. That chapter puts players in the role of the team's culinary expert and features boating segments and multiple endings.

Episode Ignis is the last announced DLC chapter for Final Fantasy XV, though it won't mark the end of future content for the game. During a livestream event for Final Fantasy's 30th anniversary, Final Fantasy XV director Hajime Tabata revealed that at least three more DLC chapters are planned to release for the game throughout 2018, with the first set to focus on Ardyn. You can read the patch notes for the December update below.

Final Fantasy XV Patch Notes

Version 1.19

• Implementation of character swap feature (available in Ascension: Techniques)
• Conclusion of online support for timed quests
• Addition of compatibility with "Episode Ignis"
• Addition of pieces from "Multiplayer Expansion: Comrades" and "Episode Ignis" to music player tracklist
• Various bug fixes

Version 1.20

• Various bug fixes