This is a guide to the New Game Plus (NG+) feature in Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition (XC1). Read on to know what carries over to New Game Plus, what doesn't, new game plus features, and whether New Game Plus is worth it or not.

What is New Game Plus?

A New Playthrough With a Previous Save File's Progress

A New Game Plus is a common feature among video games. Not all new game plus share the same features, but what they do share in common with each other is that most of them use your progress from your previous playthrough and add it to your new one.

What Carries Over to New Game Plus?

Current Equipment

You can have all of your character's current equipment for your new playthrough. This includes Shulk's weapon that is obtained before the final fight. Recruitable characters will also show this equipment during cutscenes.

Additionally, Shulk will start with Monado, meaning he loses his Junk Sword and original Talent Art.

All Items, Gems, Cylinders, and Materials

All the hard-earned items you obtained in the game will carry over in your new file. You no longer have to farm rare gems to craft your dream equipment set.

Collectopaedia

Your collectopaedia will remain as it was at the end of your playthrough, so you won't have to search for new items each area this time.

Character Levels

Your characters will retain their levels from when you beat the final boss, so you won't need to do any level-grinding.

How to Level Up Fast | Leveling Guide

Arts and Arts Levels

Learned Arts will remain on characters at the level you reached with them. This means you won't need to spend gold on Art Books, and you won't need to waste time grinding AP again!

AP Farming Guide

Optional Monado Arts

Only Monado Armour is carried over in this Screen Shot since Monado Eater wasn't learned in the previous playthrough.

Monado Armour and Monado Eater both get carried over to your new playthrough if you have obtained them from your previous save file.

Skills

Additionally, skills and learned skill trees for each character also remain. Together with levels and art levels, this allows for a grind-free playthrough.

SP Farming Guide | How to Grind SP

Previously Completed Achievements (Records)

All hard-earned achievements will carry over to your new playthrough. No need to fret about losing some hard-earned achievements! Note that this only applies to Records though, so Trials will need to be completed again.

Achievement Guide | List of Achievements

All Weapons and Armor

Yes, all weapons and armors carry over during a new game plus! All those hard-earned equipment you get by felling the strongest enemies are carried over, so you won't need to buy new ones.

Party Affinity

The affinity between party members will carry over. This means that if you didn't max all affinities in the first run, you can try grinding affinity with a different party!

How to Raise Affinity | Affinity Farming Guide

Gold

All the gold you gained from your previous playthrough is carried over. You won't have to farm subpar gears and gems to have things to sell, since you'll be loaded from the get-go.

What Doesn't Carry Over to New Game Plus?

Key Items

Key Items play a major role in the story's progress. Obtaining them anytime will ruin the pace of the game, so they cannot be carried over.

Landmarks and Locations

You will have to uncover the map again during your new playthrough. Maps will be blank again so get those legs walking!

Quests / Affinity Chart For Locations and NPCs

Your party's affinities with each other will carry over, but it's another story for NPCs and locations. You will have to get to know everyone again and do several quests to raise your reputation and affinity with each friendly establishment.

Side Quest Guide | List of Side Quests

Unique Monster Counter

Unique Monsters will give an affinity coin when they have been slain once during a single playthrough. Your affinity coins will carry over but the counter will not. This will allow you to get more affinity coins and equip more Skill Links with your other party members.

Heart-to-Hearts

Previously seen Heart to Hearts can be viewed again. This is easier to complete, since your affinity points from your previous playthrough is carried over.

Heart-to-Heart Answers and Guide

Colony 6

Colony 6 Reconstruction is not carried over. However, since your materials and items do carry over, it will be much quicker and painless to do this time!

Trials

As mentioned above, only Records carry over, so you'll have to redo any Trials from your first run.

Achievement Guide | List of Achievements

Other New Game Plus Changes

New Title Screen

After clearing Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition for the first time, you'll be able to view this new title screen showing all main characters. It's a small addition, but a neat reminder of your hard work.

Cinematic Changes

Characters that hold an antagonistic role in the game reveal their real look during cinematics. Take Mumkhar's Mechon form for example during the first scene in the game.

The Ultimate Weapon Cannot be Changed

Shulk's final weapon can only carry over once. You will also not obtain other Monados like the Monado Replica and the first Monado anymore. The scenes where Shulk will obtain the Monado are still there but it won't go into your inventory.

Dunban Won't Wield the Monado During the Game

During scenes, Dunban will still be shown to wield the Monado. During the main game however, such as when Dunban wields the Monado while Shulk still couldn't, is gone.

No More Tutorials!

Since you have already mastered the game by this point, tutorials will be skipped over automatically! However, they are still viewable from the game's menu screen, in case you need a refresher!

Is New Game Plus Worth It?

Worth it for completionists

If you did not complete the game 100% the first time, it will be much easier to do the second time, due to the fact that you will be so powerful from the start. You can also make use of Expert Mode to lower your levels if you want a fresh start with some perks!

Playing on NG+ will make it very easy to take down super bosses, and if hunting all of the unique monsters, completing quests you missed, and securing the landmarks for all areas is your thing, it is very easy to do on NG+, since you will be so familiar with the game.

Worth it if you want to enjoy the story grind-free

Xenoblade Chronicles has a heavy focus on its wonderful story, and at some point, you may wish to enjoy it again. For people who just want to enjoy the story, without needing to worry about leveling up or grinding AP/SP, etc, NG+ is a great way to do it! Since you will be able to slide through the game without any grinding at all, the game's length will be drastically shortened.

Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition Guides

Beginner's Guide to Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition

Gameplay Mechanics
Battle System and Combat Guide	Can You Switch Characters in Battle?
Stats Explained	Status Effects Explained
How to Chain Attack	What Does Tension Do?
How to Topple | Topple Lock Guide	What is Spike Damage?
Trading and Overtrading Guide	Collectopaedia Guide and Rewards
Presents Guide	How to Change the Weather
What is Weight?	-
Guides for Leveling and Grinding
How to Level Up Fast	AP Farming Guide
SP Farming Guide	How to Farm Money
How to Raise Affinity	Tephra Cave Glitch
Leveling Areas Post 70	How to Get Affinity Coins
Optimization Guides
Best Party and Team Setup	Best Skill Trees For Each Character
Best Skill Links for Each Character	Best Gifts for Each Character
Art Manuals List	What to Sell | Best Items to Sell
Miscellaneous Guides
What Carries Over to New Game Plus?	What is Expert Mode?
Achievement Guide and List	What Happens if You Die?
Appearance Guide | How to Change Appearance	List of Missables
100% Playthrough Checklist	-
Colony 6 Items
How to Get Gogol Horns	How to Get Inferno Element
How to Get Black Liver Bean	How to Get Snow Element
How to Get Azure Hollyhocks	How to Get Dust Element
How to Get Red Frontier	How to Get Empress Beetles
How to Get Rainbow Slugs	How to Get Ice Cabbages
How to Get Sturdy Armor	How to Get Squall Element
How to Get Bunnia Scent Wood	How to Get Fossil Monkey
FAQs
How to Get High Entia Emblem	How to Enter Hode's Lair
Where is Banquet Vassago	How to Get Bitter Kiwis
How to Enter Power Pipe Ruins	-