We've all been petting lots of adorable red foxes in Ghost of Tsushima, and an upcoming update will let us pet dogs as well, thereby recruiting them as loyal companions.
The new update is part of the big version 1.1 update hitting Ghost of Tsushima on Friday, October 16, when we'll finally get the fan-requested New Game Plus mode. Once you beat the main campaign at least once, you can jump into the new mode with all of the techniques, gear, and cosmetics you unlocked in your previous playthrough, and this time around you'll have a new horse to carry you through. And as Sucker Punch announced today, you'll also be able to recruit the big fluffy Mongol war dogs by giving them a hearty petting.
Starting on October 16 with #GhostOfTsushima version 1.1, you can equip the Charm of Canine Recruitment in New Game+ to pet dogs and turn them into allies... pic.twitter.com/RLFSut8aqNOctober 8, 2020
It's worth noting that you'll only be able to squad up with dogs in the New Game Plus mode of Ghost of Tsushima, presumably to give you some help with the increased difficulty. Sadly, that means if you're still working your way through the main campaign, you'll need to settle for affectionately glancing at dogs while they try to savagely kill you.
Ghost of Tsushima's New Game Plus mode also adds a bunch of new items, "extremely powerful" new charms, and another rank of upgrades for your weapons. Then there's the Ghost Flowers, which you'll earn through completing Tales and activities that you've already completed in your first playthrough. Then you can trade your Ghost Flowers to a new merchant for new armor dyes and other cosmetics with "more elaborate designs than you found in your first playthrough."
Ghost of Tsushima is just one of the best games of 2020 (so far).
