The Queen and the Sea, which follows previous paid expansions The Bad Seed and Fatal Falls, brings a selection of nautically minded additions to Dead Cells, including two brand-new biomes, Infested Shipwreck and the Lighthouse. In terms of progression placement, these new biomes appear toward the back-end of the game, running parallel to Dead Cells’ existing High Peak Castle and Throne Room stages. That means the Hand of the King will no longer be the game’s only final boss, with players having the option of taking on the Queen and experiencing an entirely new ending. Additionally, Motion Twin - or rather, subsidiary Evil Empire, which now handles Dead Cells’ development - says one of the new biomes will deliver a “new kind of challenge” that’s “definitely not the standard-issue Dead Cells level that you know and love”. The developer isn’t quite ready to reveal what this twist will be, but it has shared a brief teaser trailer for The Queen and the Sea, alongside a couple of screenshots showcasing its moody new locales. Purchasers can also expect new enemies, new weapons - one of which appears to be a brandishable shark to bludgeon opponents with - plus a new “not-so-cuddly” pet when the expansion launches for £4.49/$4.99 USD early next year. Following The Queen and the Sea’s arrival, Evil Empire says it’ll be releasing more free content for Dead Cells, which it plans to continue doing “for at least another year”. The developer adds, “There’s already a good chunk of content planned and being worked on right now with some fresh ideas in play, so you shouldn’t be getting bored with us anytime soon”.
