Celeste is a platforming dream. It’s one of the smoothest games you’ll ever play, it tells a beautiful tale, and it is freaking hard. Yet, the game has sold over 500,000 copies since its launch in January of 2018. Because of this, developer Matt Makes Games has revealed a set of free “very hard” levels coming to Celeste in 2019. However, this set didn’t make it before the game’s anniversary on January 25. It also won’t be coming this month, but the team announced today that the free Celeste DLC is in its “home stretch” regarding development.
This pack of levels won’t be a bunch of B-sides like in the original game. Instead, they’ll all take place in Chapter 9: Farewell, according to a tweet from the official Celeste Twitter account. The tweet also revealed that Celeste’s physical release won’t be coming until after Farewell is out into the world. But, it will still be free on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Sadly, the pack won’t have any collectible strawberries, though.
We're on the home stretch of development for Chapter 9: Farewell. It won't be out in April, but hopefully it won't be much longer. For the physical release, we decided to hold off on printing until Farewell is finished. This DLC will be a free update on all platforms! 🍓❤️ pic.twitter.com/AgBq9SqPWZ
— Celeste (@celeste_game) April 11, 2019
Otherwise, Farewell will have new mechanics and items. The original game introduces a new mechanic in each world, sometimes through items and other times through the environment, so this extra pack fits right in. Though, as someone who still struggles with the more difficult “B-sides” levels in the base game, I can’t imagine how Farewell’s will be. Here’s hoping this chapter has a plot just as touching as the original game as well.
Celeste came to be during a four-day game jam in which developers Matt Thorson and Noel Berry created a 30 level platformer for a fictional console. Thorson, who worked on TowerFall, already had experience making an engaging title. From there, the two made it into a widespread game with over 200 rooms to push through. However, the original 30 levels are unlockable in Celeste and are just as hard as you might think.
With all of that passion behind it, it’s no surprise the team wants to tweak Farewell to perfection. Plus, Celeste is a game that requires precise movements and faultless timing. A game like that needs to be about as polished as one can make it, so Matt Makes Games can take all the time they need.
If you’re playing through Celeste, check out our crystal heart locations guide. Need something to tide you over before the release of Farewell? We’ve got a list of some of the toughest platformers out there.
