Microsoft has revealed Rise of the Tomb Raider will have microtransactions, and also given some insight into what DLC we should expect from the Season Pass.

On the microtransaction front, the publisher explained these will take the form of game-modifying items called "Expedition Cards". Outside of the main campaign, you'll be able to use these to access better armour and perks, or aesthetic differences - Big Head Mode was cited as an example of the latter, while the ability to bandage yourself without using up resources was another. While in-game credits can be earned to buy these, the quicker way is to buy them with real cash.

"In Rise of the Tomb Raider, you'll earn credits by completing challenges and exploring the world," a post on the Xbox Wire explains. "These credits can be used to purchase Expedition Card packs. When used, Expedition Cards become modifiers in game modes outside of the single player campaign. Some Cards are humorous, such as Big Head Mode, while others can increase the challenge or give you special advantages.

"There are two types of Expedition Cards: Foil and Common. A Foil Card will give Lara the strongest or strangest variations and can be used as many times as you wish. A Common Card is only used once, and you'll need to earn more credits to buy it back."

As for the contents of the leaked $30 Season Pass, the post gives the name of what you'll be getting, along with a brief description of each item:

Endurance Mode -- "Survive the extreme conditions of Endurance Mode."
Baba Yaga: The Temple of the Witch -- "Explore a new tomb that houses an ancient terror."
Cold Darkness Awakened -- "Combat waves of infected predators."
In-game content -- "A steady stream of outfits, weapons, and Expedition Cards" that will be available at launch and continuing for more than four months."

Finally, there's some insight into the game's multiplayer modes. We'd previously been told it wouldn't have a "traditional" multiplayer, but rather players will be able to "extend the single-player campaign" with modes they can challenge their friends to. These are:

Score Attack -- Replay levels with new rules, and chain together attacks, movements and collectibles to keep your score multiplier up.
Remnant Resistance -- Replay Hub areas using Expedition Card modifiers and selected objectives and enemies. Once you've completed this, you can challenge friends to try the same version of the mission to see if they can do better.
Chapter Replay -- Essentially a New Game+ mode, where you replay chapters with all the equipment and abilities you've unlocked so far.
Microsoft has confirmed it's released a $90 Deluxe version of the game that includes the Season Pass and something called the Remnant Resistance Pack, which adds a new "Remnant Outfit" for Lara, alongside the Moon Shadow Handgun Skin and the Bullet Resistance Foil Card. It's also available digitally.

Square Enix has confirmed the PC version of the game will arrive in "early 2016", while console exclusivity will last for a year. This means Rise of the Tomb Raider won't land on PS4 until "Holiday 2016", as the Xbox One and Xbox 360 versions are due for release on November 10, 2015.