The best Shinobi Striker DLC in 2026 depends on what you want your avatar to learn, because the paid packs do not buy characters to play: recent masters such as Jiraiya (Sage Mode) and Naruto Uzumaki (Sage Mode) were made playable for everyone in free updates, and the DLC is what lets your own ninja train under them. For the newest techniques, Season Pass 10 is the pick; for the most masters in one purchase, Season Pass 1 and Season Pass 2 cover nine each; and for a fresh avatar, the small Starter Pack adds ten ninjutsu and ten Moonlight Scrolls. Every recommendation below is based on what each bundle contains on its official store listing, not on a tier list.
We compared the Steam store listings for every season pass, character pack, starter pack and special ninjutsu pack, the patch 2.39 and 2.70 notes, and the official NARUTO site's 2026 DLC pages, all checked on 10 November 2026.
How Shinobi Striker DLC Actually Works
Most of the add-on list is made of Master Character Training Packs, one per DLC master. Steam's listing for the newest one shows what a pack contains: once downloaded, you set the character as your master at the Ninjutsu Library in the Hidden Leaf Village online lobby and earn Training Points to unlock two ninjutsu, a secret technique, a costume, an accessory, hairstyles, a weapon and an honorary title for your avatar.
Playing as the character is a separate matter. The patch 2.70 notes say all players have access to Jiraiya (Sage Mode) as a playable character on release, the 14th developer letter says Naruto Uzumaki (Sage Mode) is free to use after the update, and the patch 2.39 notes said the same of Madara Uchiha (Six Paths) in 2022. That is why the right DLC question is "which moves do I want on my ninja?", not "which characters do I want to play?".
Around the training packs sit five other kinds of add-on:
- Season passes: bundles of training packs, usually with a bonus technique or item.
- Top Secret Training Sets: instant Rank 1 to 5 rewards for masters you already own.
- Special Ninjutsu: single techniques sold on their own, such as the Host Transformation series.
- Starter packs: bundles of ninjutsu, training sets and Moonlight Scrolls.
- Cosmetics and scrolls: launch-era costumes and Moonlight Scroll packs.
For the full roster each pass adds, our Shinobi Striker DLC characters list goes season by season.
Every Season Pass Compared
This table lists each bundle's packs, its bonus and the Steam US price shown on 10 November 2026. Prices change with sales and region, so use them to compare value between passes rather than as a quote.
| Bundle | Packs | Bonus | Steam US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season Pass | #1 to #9 (Jiraiya to Madara) | Jiraiya Costume with Shima and Fukasaku Replica | $29.99 |
| Season Pass 2 | #10 to #18 (Zabuza to Naruto (BORUTO)) | Top-Secret Training Zabuza Momochi | $29.99 |
| Season Pass 3 | #19 to #23 | Lobby Action: Lightning Blade | $14.99 |
| Season Pass 4 | #24 to #28 | Super Uzumaki Rasengan (Attack) | $14.99 |
| Season Pass 5 | #29 to #33 | Rasengan Unison (Defense) | $14.99 |
| Season Pass 6 | #34 to #36 | Kurama Supreme Ultimate Rasengan (Heal) | $9.99 |
| Season Pass 7 | #37 to #39 | Amaterasu: Dual Layer (Ranged) | $9.99 |
| Season 8 Character Pack | #40 to #43 | None listed | $13.99 |
| Season Pass 9 | #44 to #47 | Collaboration: Ultimate Art (Ranged, Heal) | $13.99 |
| Season Pass 10 | #48 to #51 (two still unannounced) | Majestic Attire: Susano'o (Attack, Defense) | $13.99 |
For scale, each individual Master Character Training Pack listed at $3.99 on Steam US the same day. A nine-pack pass therefore covers more masters per dollar than buying them one by one, while the three-pack passes from Seasons 6 and 7 mostly earn their place through the bonus technique.
Best Picks by Goal
With the contents laid out, the choice becomes a matter of matching a bundle to what you actually want.
- You want the newest techniques: Season Pass 10. It already includes Jiraiya (Sage Mode) and Naruto Uzumaki (Sage Mode), adds two more masters by March 2027 according to Steam, and carries Majestic Attire: Susano'o for Attack and Defense. Our Naruto Sage Mode guide covers his moves and rank rewards.
- You want the most masters per purchase: Season Pass 1 or Season Pass 2, nine masters each. Season Pass 1 covers the three Sannin, four Hokage, Obito and Madara, while Season Pass 2 runs from Zabuza and Haku to Might Guy and Naruto (BORUTO).
- You main one class: pick by bonus technique. Attack players get Super Uzumaki Rasengan from Season Pass 4, Defense players Rasengan Unison from Season Pass 5, Heal players Kurama Supreme Ultimate Rasengan from Season Pass 6, and Ranged players Amaterasu: Dual Layer from Season Pass 7.
- You only want one character: buy that single training pack.
- You are a Naruto or Sasuke fan: Steam's Naruto Uzumaki Starter Pack bundles four Naruto training packs (BORUTO, Last Battle, Baryon Mode and Young Ver.), a Top Secret Training Set that unlocks all four immediately and ten Moonlight Scrolls. It does not include the Sage Mode pack. The Sasuke Uchiha Starter Pack does the same for three Sasuke versions.
- You just made a new avatar: the original Starter Pack adds ten ninjutsu across all four types, including Rasengan, Lightning Blade, Sand Shield and Byakugan, plus ten Moonlight Scrolls.
- You want Tailed Beast powers: the Awakened "Tailed Beast" Complete Pack bundles the four Host Transformation techniques (Two, Three, Six and Seven Tails, one per type) with five Moonlight Scrolls.
Special Ninjutsu: Single Techniques Without a Master
Special Ninjutsu are the easiest DLC to overlook. Each one adds a single technique straight to your avatar, with no master to train. Steam lists these, oldest first:
- The Piercing One-Fingered Thrust of Hell (May 2023)
- Flying Raijin Slice (July 2023)
- Steam Imp (September 2023)
- Particle Style: Atomic Dismantling Jutsu - Pillar (October 2023)
- Magnet Style: Gold Dust Great Burial (December 2023)
- Wood Style: Wood Golem Jutsu (February 2024)
- Host Transformation: Two Tails, Six Tails, Three Tails and Seven Tails (July 2024 to March 2025), also bundled in the Awakened "Tailed Beast" Complete Pack
- Special Ninjutsu: An Elder Reborn Kage Pack (November 2024)
These suit players who already have a favorite master's moves and want one specific technique on top. They are also exposed to balance changes like everything else: patch 2.70 in May 2026 reduced the Secret Technique gauge cost of Wood Style: Wood Golem Jutsu, for example. Read the latest patch notes before you buy a technique for its current strength.
A sensible path for a returning player looks like this: start with the pass or pack that holds the techniques for the class you play most, add one Special Ninjutsu only if your loadout is missing something specific, and leave Moonlight Scrolls for last, since free Esoteric Scrolls cover the same appraisals.
Add-Ons to Think Twice About
A few items cause more regret than others, mostly because of overlap:
- Top Secret Training Sets before the masters. Steam says a set only covers DLC characters you have purchased, so buying one first gets you nothing for masters you do not own. Our guide to Top Secret Training in Shinobi Striker explains the rules.
- Duplicates inside bundles. Steam's season pass and starter pack listings warn that they include content also sold individually, so check what you already own before buying a bundle.
- Moonlight Scrolls as a shortcut. They are still random appraisals. Steam's Starter Pack listing says they give items equal in rarity to Esoteric Scrolls, which you can also earn free; our guide to getting SS+ weapons explains how lineups decide what you can pull.
- Launch-era unlocks. The Master Character Pain Early Unlock dates from launch day in August 2018, and PowerPyx's master guide shows Pain also unlocks free by reaching Mastery Level 2 with Konan, so check whether it still adds anything to your account before paying.
Costume add-ons are the exception to the "think twice" rule if you simply like the look. The Seventh Hokage Costume and the two Shinobi Strikers Coats are gender-neutral and work with the outfit system covered in our guide to changing clothes in Shinobi Striker.
Season 10 Status in November 2026
Season 10 began with update 2.70 on 28 May 2026 (Japan time), and Jiraiya (Sage Mode) arrived as DLC #48 the next day. Naruto Uzumaki (Sage Mode) followed as DLC #49 on 27 August on Steam and 28 August on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. As of 10 November 2026, the official NARUTO site's games news had no newer Shinobi Striker announcement, and Steam still lists Season Pass 10's last two packs as #50 and #51 with no names. Both Sage Mode characters were revealed in developer letters only a day or two before release (27 May for Jiraiya, 26 August for Naruto), so the next reveal may come with little warning.
That makes timing the main question for anyone weighing Season Pass 10 against older passes. Buying now gets you two masters and the bonus today and two unannounced ones later; buying an older pass gets you a complete, known set. If you are unsure which base edition you own, our comparison of Shinobi Striker Deluxe and Ultimate editions explains what each one already included.
Want It All Without Buying Pass by Pass?
The store's Shinobi Striker modded save lists Unlock all including DLC as its first feature, followed by infinite ultimate, ninjutsu and sub-weapons, all clothes and max scrolls. The page sells only the modded save file, so check with the store how its DLC unlock applies to your account before treating it as a replacement for any specific pack.
It supports PS4 and PS5 and no other platforms. Fulfilment happens on your own PlayStation account, which the page says must carry an active PlayStation Plus subscription of its own; shared PS Plus does not qualify. The game itself is a separate purchase. The Sage Mode saves and the trophy service are listed on the Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker store page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best Shinobi Striker DLC to buy first?
For new content, Season Pass 10. For the most masters per purchase, Season Pass 1 or 2. For a brand-new avatar, the Starter Pack with ten ninjutsu.
Do you need DLC to play DLC characters?
Recent DLC masters, including both Sage Mode characters, were made playable for everyone in free updates. The DLC lets your avatar learn their techniques.
What is the latest Shinobi Striker DLC?
Naruto Uzumaki (Sage Mode), DLC #49, released in late August 2026 as part of Season Pass 10.
What does Season Pass 10 include?
Master Character Training Packs #48 to #51 and the bonus secret technique Majestic Attire: Susano'o for Attack and Defense types.
Is the Naruto Starter Pack worth it?
If you want several Naruto versions, it bundles four training packs, an instant training set and ten Moonlight Scrolls. It leaves out the Sage Mode pack.
When will the next Shinobi Striker DLC come out?
No date was announced as of 10 November 2026. Steam says Season Pass 10's remaining content will be released by March 2027.