Summary
- Some open-world games go beyond simply letting players explore the map after the story ends, adding a transformative layer to the endgame.
- Red Dead Redemption 2 offers a lengthy epilogue with a new protagonist, exclusive missions and bounties, and access to new areas after completing the main story.
- The Division 2 introduces a Black Tusk twist post-story, refreshing the entire map with powerful new enemies and unlocking elite missions.
Open-world games are among the biggest and longest titles out there, but sometimes, even that isn't enough. When a good open-world game hooks its players, moving on to something else can be surprisingly difficult. Luckily, one of the genre's hallmarks is its sheer volume of content: major AAA open-world titles often offer dozens, if not hundreds, of hours of gameplay that go well beyond the main story and side quests.
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More often than not, reaching the end credits doesn't mean players are finished. Many continue exploring, collecting, and completing everything the world has to offer, whether it's Elden Ring, The Witcher 3, or another fan favorite, even without diving into New Game+ mode. With that in mind, this topic aims to highlight open-world games with truly standout post-story content, offering something truly memorable or transformative, like special activities that unlock after the main story is complete.
1 Red Dead Redemption 2
An Elegant Solution to Keep the Epilogue Fresh and Exciting
Red Dead Redemption 2
- Released
- October 26, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
In Red Dead Redemption 2, Rockstar not only delivered a powerful and lengthy story of Arthur Morgan that continues to leave a lasting impression on fans, but also came up with an elegant solution for players to remain immersed in the Wild West after the dramatic finale. The game's epilogue shifts the perspective to John Marston, not only providing a seamless narrative bridge to the original Red Dead Redemption but also extending the experience for those wanting more time in the world.
The epilogue itself is substantial, offering up to ten hours of main story missions for John. Beyond that, players are free to tackle any remaining side quests or bounties, with some content like exclusive missions and bounties available only to Marston. This includes access to the previously unreachable region of New Austin, which adds a fresh area to explore after the main story. Without leaning on any live-service mechanics, RDR2 stands as a notable example of a single-player game that introduces a meaningful, transformative layer of content after the main story is over.
2 The Division 2
Embracing the Ever-Evolving Nature with a Neat Black Tusk Twist
Tom Clancy's The Division 2
- Released
- March 15, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter
The Division 2 surprised many fans of the original with its generous amount of content right from the start, especially in how it handled the endgame. Once the main campaign wraps up, the game introduces the elite Black Tusk faction, who sweep in to retake control of the map. This twist adds a transformative post-story layer that refreshes the gameplay with new enemies to defeat.
Beyond the newly unlocked elite missions from the base game, The Division 2's post-story content includes a wide variety of activities: Expeditions, Raids, Bounties, Classified Assignments, and Manhunt missions, as well as additional modes like Summit, Descent, PvP Skirmish, and the Dark Zones. The game also features regular battle passes with fresh challenges and rewards, not to mention the sizable Warlords of New York expansion.
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By fully embracing its ever-evolving nature, The Division 2 has not only surpassed its predecessor in almost every way but has received one of the longest active supports among Ubisoft projects to date. With Year 7 and the Battle for Brooklyn DLC on the horizon, players can expect even more new features, activities, and rewards in the months ahead.
3 Assassin's Creed Shadows
Balancing Open-World Appeal with Seasonal Content and Activities
Assassin's Creed Shadows
- Released
- March 20, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
Assassin's Creed Shadows is the next major installment in Ubisoft's flagship series, built to keep fans engaged for hundreds of hours. Set in the open world of Feudal Japan, nearly all optional content centers around assassination contracts. After completing the roughly 30-hour main story, players can dive into dozens of side missions, continuing to explore the richly detailed world while earning powerful loot, weapons, and armor.
AC Shadows also brings back the endless contracts system from Assassin's Creed Odyssey, now enhanced with a seasonal twist — mission objectives, castles, and fortresses across regions refresh over time, while the entire map changes visually. The game further extends its post-story engagement with the seasonal Animus Shadows Projects Battle Pass, offering new weekly challenges and objectives for unique rewards. Looking ahead, the first Claws of Avaji expansion promises at least ten additional hours of new content, kicking off a long-term post-launch support plan.
Alternatively, Assassin's Creed Valhalla remains another standout in the series when it comes to post-story content. Set across multiple distinct worlds, including mythical realms, Valhalla offers an immense world packed with objectives and collectibles. But there's more: the game features endless contracts for materials to upgrade a vast arsenal, various challenge modes like Valkyrie Arena with exclusive rewards, the procedural River Raids mode, and the roguelike adventure Forgotten Saga, all contributing to one of the most absorbing entries in the franchise.
4 Diablo 4
The Story Is Just an Introduction to Endless Endgame Activities
Diablo 4
- Released
- June 5, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Hack and Slash
As is tradition for the series, Diablo 4 is all about the endgame, with its story campaign largely serving as an extended tutorial before the real action begins. Players who don't reach the level cap of 60 only scratch the surface, as the game introduces many of its core systems and activities later on. With its vast, seamless open world, regular seasonal updates, and battle passes packed with unique rewards, Diablo 4 is built to keep players engaged for months, even without switching between characters. Not to forget a sizable Vessel of Hatred expansion with a new character class, menacing bosses, and unexplored regions.
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Given the game's complexity, it's difficult to capture the full scope of its post-story content without delving deep into details. From pushing into higher difficulties and tackling Nightmare Dungeons, World Bosses, and Helltide invasions, to chasing bounties through the Tree of Whispers, diving into the randomized Pit of Artificers, or engaging in PvP in the Fields of Hatred, Diablo 4 offers a deep and ever-evolving endgame. With Season 8: Belial's Return on the way, fans can expect even more bosses, powerful loot, and new challenges to sink their teeth into.
5 Days Gone Remastered
Zombie Hordes as Perfect Endgame Content
Days Gone Remastered
- Released
- April 25, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
Overall, Days Gone fits into a traditional open-world mold, allowing players to continue exploring as Deacon St. John after the story concludes, clearing the vast Oregon map of any remaining side activities or hidden content. However, one feature sets the game apart: zombie hordes. Teased heavily before release, these massive groups of mutant Freakers don't fully come into play until late in the game, emphasizing just how intense and demanding the encounters can be. As such, players are encouraged to face the hordes post-game, once Deacon is equipped with fully upgraded survival skills, weapons, and gear.
Some Freaker hordes in Days Gone are so enormous and relentless that taking them down requires serious planning, preparation, and strategy. Days Gone Remastered raises the stakes even further by increasing horde population sizes and introducing the new Horde Assault survival mode for players to really put their skills and endurance to the test. While the original game featured hordes with up to 500 Freakers, Horde Assault pushes that number up to 800, delivering one of the most intense survival challenges the game has to offer.
6 Fallout 4
A Deep and Flexible Crafting System That Makes a Difference
Fallout 4
- Released
- November 10, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
While Fallout 4 doesn't break new ground in terms of post-story content, mainly offering players the freedom to continue exploring the map or take on high-difficulty DLCs like Nuka-World and Far Harbor, it does implement one killer feature that keeps players coming back: its deep and flexible crafting and settlement-building systems. These mechanics allow players to reshape the Wasteland however they see fit, building and upgrading settlements with few restrictions and making use of every scrap collected throughout their journey.
Alternatively, Skyrim remains one of Bethesda's most iconic titles, where players can literally live a second life, in part because of its endless replayability. Players can easily ignore the main story altogether or return to the game long after finishing it, discovering new adventures, immersive side stories, or simply enjoying the world's atmosphere with unparalleled freedom.
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