Astro Bot Expands with Vicious Void Levels and Smiling DualSense Controller

In a surprise reveal during Sony’s latest State of Play, Team Asobi announced five new Vicious Void levels for their beloved platformer Astro Bot, winner of The Game Awards 2024 Game of the Year. These new additions are set to drop on July 10, 2025, pushing the total number of levels in the game beyond a whopping 90. That’s a substantial offering for players still enjoying the game nearly a year after release.

Studio head Nicolas Doucet also teased a revamped version of the limited-edition Astro Bot DualSense controller. While it looks nearly identical to the original, the “Astro persona” inside the controller now features a smiling expression- a small, playful touch fans are already buzzing about. No changes to functionality or layout were mentioned, keeping things familiar for players who already own the previous edition.

The Vicious Void levels promise an extra challenge for diehard platformer fans. Among the newly revealed stages, four of the five have been named, and there’s also a new collectible: Atsu, the protagonist from the upcoming Ghost of Yotei, has been added to the game as a bot. This not only hints at cross-title synergy but gives players more to hunt down in the whimsical Astro world.

While there’s speculation that this could be the final DLC batch for Astro Bot, given the upcoming one-year anniversary, Doucet’s comments on the PlayStation Blog suggest otherwise. “It has been a real delight to continue offering you, our valued fans, an extended Astro Bot experience at no additional cost,” he wrote, hinting that Team Asobi may still have a few surprises up their sleeve.

Astro Bot remains one of the most accessible and joyful games on PS5-balancing simple controls, family-friendly design, and bursts of challenge for those who seek it. Whether you’re a parent gaming with your kid or a seasoned platformer enthusiast aiming to beat the Master Level with all 300 bots, there’s something here for everyone.

The only downside? The limited-edition controller might be hard to get. Previous versions were snapped up quickly and are now reselling at double the price in some regions. Here’s hoping this new smiling Astro controller makes it into a proper PS5 bundle this time around.