Chapter 1: New Los Angeles Walkthrough - Xenoblade Chronicles X Guide - IGN (2025)

In Chapter 1: New Los Angeles in Xenoblade Chronicles X, you’re given a tour of New LA and meet some new faces within the BLADE organization. Our walkthrough guides you through how to complete Chapter 1: New Los Angeles in XCX.

XCX Chapter 1: New Los Angeles Walkthrough and Guide

Xenoblade X’s Chapter 1: New Los Angeles is a short chapter and primarily involves traveling to quest markers and watching cutscenes. While you don’t officially begin Chapter 1 until you’ve entered the BLADE Barracks, you have some tasks to do first.

Once you’re given control of your character, head down the stairs and southeast to the red exclamation point.

Meeting Lin and Doug

You’ll get a cutscene and be introduced to Lin and Doug, who has just crash-landed his Skell due to an exhaust failure. You have a dialogue choice to make here:

• Look Skeptical: Find out how old Lin is.
• Look Worried: Find out what happened with the exhaust.

You can choose either option; the only difference is a slight dialogue change, so pick whichever one you feel fits best. Either way, Lin will offer to take you on a guided tour.

After this, the Active Members screen will open, which is essentially the party members screen. Here, you can decide your party lineup. Click on an empty slot and then on Lin and add her to your party.

You’ll get another cutscene in which Lin flies you up in her transporter to give you an aerial view of New LA. Once you land, you’ll find yourself in the Administrative District, tasked with visiting the BLADE Barracks.

The BLADE Barracks

Instead of heading directly toward the red exclamation point, turn left and wrap around BLADE Tower. There’s no way to cut through, so ignore the stairs ahead of you for now.

On the left side of BLADE Tower, you’ll pass through Armory Alley. You will return here shortly and get a more detailed look, so ignore it for now. The BLADE Barracks is just through Armory Alley, on the right side.

Approach the red exclamation point at the BLADE Barracks to start another cutscene. You’ll get another dialogue choice to make here:

• Show Interest: Ask about registration.
• Look Away: Frown and say nothing.

Again, you can pick whichever answer you’d like, as it does not impact the story.

After this, you’ll meet Secretary Nagi for the first time and enter the BLADE Barracks, where you’ll get another dialogue choice to make:

• Inquire: Ask how we ended up on Mira.
• Clarify: Ask for more information about BLADE.
• Question: Ask about registration.

You can choose any answer; during this cutscene, you need to pick all three anyway to progress.

Leave the Blade Barracks

Once you’ve exhausted all three dialogue options and regained control of your character, this is where Chapter 1: New Los Angeles starts officially. Leave the BLADE Barracks by following the red exclamation point. You’ll get a cutscene, followed by another dialogue option:

• Clarify: Ask what a Skell is.
• Geek Out: Gaze longingly at the Skell.

While you can choose either option, we recommend picking “Geek Out” because the dialogue you get is hilarious. It doesn’t matter gameplay-wise either way, though.

After regaining control of your character, you’re tasked with visiting Mission Control. Conveniently, it’s located just ahead of where you’re standing. Approach the red exclamation point, and you’ll get another cutscene, this time to explain what Mission Control is - a bounty board where you can pick up missions. You can’t use it just yet, though.

Next, go slightly right to find the BLADE Scout Console and get another cutscene to explain what it does. Here, you can recruit other BLADEs online to help with missions that are available via the Mission Control board.

Now that you’ve learned about Mission Control and the BLADE Scout Console, it’s time to visit Armory Alley. Head slightly northwest from the BLADE Scout Console to the red exclamation point at the Shop Terminal for yet another cutscene. The Shop Terminal is where you can make various purchases, such as weapons and Skells (once you have the Skell License).

Finally, once the cutscene is over, head west past Regina to BLADE Tower, then go up the stairs for another cutscene. You’ll learn what BLADE Tower is, and the tour with Lin and Elma will end.

That’s the end of Chapter 1: New Los Angeles in Xenoblade Chronicles X! Time for Chapter 2: The New Frontier.