Thursday, July 15, 2021
The most anticipated Final Fantasy expansion pack is coming soon. Here's what we know so far.
The Final Fantasy series has produced some of the best single-player JRPGs to ever grace a console, and their MMORPG, Final Fantasy XIV, is as good as any other single-player entry. Final Fantasy XIV launched more than a decade ago to a much tumultuous reception, but since then, thanks to a passionate development team, Final Fantasy XIV was successfully relaunched and has skyrocketed in popularity and is one of the best multiplayer games on the PC. With Endwalker on the horizon, Final Fantasy XIV promises to surprise players with one of the most exciting expansion passes to date. Here's everything we know about Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker.
What is Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker?
Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker is the upcoming fourth expansion to Final Fantasy XIV, the long-running MMORPG set in the world of Final Fantasy. Once upon a time almost 11 years ago, the fledgling MMORPG launched to abysmal reviews, but instead of tossing the game like everyone thought they should, Square Enix invested in the game's development, replacing the development team and relaunching the game as what we know it as now: Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. Since then, the game has steadily built a dedicated loyal fanbase and enjoyed years of content updates and expansions.
Endwalker comes with tons of new content, including new dungeons, new jobs, new areas to explore, and a conclusion to the Hydaelyn and Zodiark storyline that started with the launch of A Realm Reborn in 2013. And while this might be the end of this long-running story arc, it's not the end of Final Fantasy XIV, as producer and director Naoki Yoshida (Or Yoshi-P to fans) promises the start of a new story arc at the end of Endwalker.
Story so far
To summarize the plot of Final Fantasy XIV is a herculean task, but while A Realm Reborn and all of its expansions are connected, each adventure stands alone and offers dozens of hours in quests, dungeons, interesting characters, and a story that's one of the best in its class. While the road to Endwalker has been long, here's a quick summary of what each part of Final Fantasy XIV is about.
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn starts simple enough: You are an adventurer, traveling the land of Eorzea five years after the calamity that destroyed and subsequently rebuilt the world. As Eorzea recovers and rebuilds, the player sets out to set a name for themself, joining the adventurers guild and catching the eye of a group called the Scions. You're quickly recruited, and along with various other members, uncover your destiny as the Warrior of Light, the savior of the realm, as well as deal with the impending threat of invasion by the Garlean Empire from the north.
Heavensward, the first expansion pack, deals with the Dragonsong War between the Holy See of Ishgard and the dragon horde of Dravania. Players seek asylum in Ishgard after being falsely accused of murder and become involved in efforts to end the war, but in undoing these acquisitions, you uncover an ancient conspiracy concerning the origins of the war.
In Stormblood, the second expansion pack, players are introduced to Zenos yae Galvus, who has brutally conquered the oppressed imperial provinces of Ala Mhigo and Doma which lead the player to join forces with the Ala Mhigan Resistance and the deposed Crown Prince of Doma to lead a rebellion against the cruel tyrant.
Shadowbringers, the third expansion pack, takes place in the First, a parallel dimension that has succumbed to a great apocalypse. Players are transported to this world and set forth to restore vitality to the ruined land. They are joined by old friends who have been trapped on the First, as well as Emet-Selch, an immortal villain who aims to harness the First's desolation to trigger a mirrored calamity on the player's homeworld.
And finally, in Endwalker, you finally confront the evil Garlean Empire, led by Zenos, who has now killed his father. He is aided by Fandaniel, an Ascian who aims to destroy the world and end his immortal existence. Expect an all-out war the Eorzean Alliance and the evil Garlean Empire for the soul of Eorzea. In an interview with PC Gamer, Yoshi-P stated that Endwalker will feature around 30% more story and cutscenes than Shadowbringers, so expect lots of plot in this epic final chapter.
What's new?
Lots of Endwalker's content was unveiled at this year's Final Fantasy XIV fanfest. This is just some of what we know so far:
- The level cap will be raised to 90.
- Several new zones will be added, including the Moon itself.
- New dungeons, raids, and alliance raids.
- Two new jobs
- New race: Male Viera
- New high-difficulty raid: Pandæmonium
- New threats: Anima and The Magus Sisters
- Cross-server travel to other data centers will be available.
- Two new tribes: Matanga and Loporrits.
- A new housing area in Ishgard.
- A mode called Island Sanctuary where you can tend gardens and livestock.
New race: Male Viera
Final Fantasy fans might recognize the Viera race, aka the hot bunny people from Final Fantasy XII. The most recognizable Viera is Fran, and she actually appears as an NPC in the Stormblood alliance raids. Now, canonically we've never seen a male Viera, though they apparently exist, living their lives away from the females. One of the new additions to Endwalker is the ability to create a male Viera. Finally, my himbo bunny dreams can finally be a reality.
New locations
Endwalker is full of new areas to explore, and Yoshi-P has already confirmed that the size of the areas will be in line with what we've seen in previous expansions. Some of the areas that have been revealed include:
- Radz-at-Han, a tropical island that is based on Thavnair, an area that has been referenced in the game but never been visited before.
- Old Sharlayan, the scholarly island which will be the new hub area for Endwalker.
- Garlemald, a city deep in the Garlean Empire.
- Mare Lamentorum, a new area located on the moon, because why not?
- Labryrinthos, an artificial training ground.
New jobs: Sage and Reaper
Two new jobs will be included along with the Endwalker expansion. The jobs are Sage, a healer role, and Reaper, a DPS role. Here are the details for the Sage role:
- Role: Healer
- Weapons: Nouliths
- No Required Class
- Starts at Level 70
- Heals and protects party using barriers
- Uses Aether to manipulate Nouliths in battle
- Able to temporarily augment their own magic abilities
- Job quests will begin in Limsa Lominsa
And here are the details for the Reaper class, described as "a scythe-swinging melee DPS specialist who calls upon an avatar from the Void to join them in close-quarter combat."
- Role: Melee DPS
- Weapons: Two-handed scythe
- No Required Class
- Starts at Level 70
- Close-quarter combat
- Can call upon an avatar from the void to join in the battle
- Can serve as a host for their avatar
- Job quests will begin in Ul'dah
Once you hit the required level, you must seek out the quest giver to get access to the job.
New bosses and dungeons
Two new bosses were revealed at the Digital Fan Fest and both hail from Final Fantasy X. The Magus Sisters and Anima, two Aeons from Final Fantasy X, join Final Fantasy XIV as bosses. Summons from the Final Fantasy series often appear as Primals in Final Fantasy XIV, so we're betting that Anima and The Magus Sisters will also be Primals, related to one of the new Beastmen tribes.
As for dungeons, Yoshi-P promised a large range of dungeon types, ranging from high-fantasy settings to sci-fi. Final Fantasy often taps into various different styles and almost all of them have been represented in Final Fantasy XIV in one way or another.
New Beastmen tribes
Two new Beastmen tribes will be introduced in Endwalker — the elephant-like Arkasodara tribe called the Matanga and the adorable Loporrits. Both tribes will offer daily challenges like previous beast tribes that will earn Reputation points. By increasing your reputation, you will gain access to unique mounts, minions, furnishings, and other items.
What is Island Sanctuary?
While we don't know much about how this mode will play out, Yoshi-P teased that this mode will be all about raising animals and cultivating the land on an uninhabited deserted island, with the option of letting their minions roam free around the area. The mode is not just geared towards gatherers and crafters, but for players who prefer a "slow life" option. It might not be an official job, but Farmer of Light does sound like it'll be a lot of fun.
PVP
Player versus player modes, or PVP, exist already in FFXIV, but Endwalker will introduce a new small-scale PvP mode that aims to pull new players into the game type. The new PvP mode will have a new type of reward system that doesn't focus solely on gear and is aimed towards a more casual PVP experience.
Can I skip right to Endwalker?
You can't skip right to Endwalker if you're just starting out. In order to access all of Endwalker's glory, you'll have to push through the main game, as well as Heavensward, Stormblood, and Shadowbringers. If the task seems daunting and you don't want to play through hundreds of hours of the game, Square Enix has given players options. If a player wants to skip ahead in the story, they can pay a fee to push jump right to the end of Stormblood. You won't earn any level experience if you do this, and you'll still have to play through Shadowbringers, but playing through one expansion is better than playing through four.
If you'd like, you can also pay to level up a class to level 70. This will put you well in the of Endwalker's level 90 cap and help you push through lower-level quests with ease. More information on level and scenario skipping can be found here.
Can I play for free?
Have you tried the critically acclaimed MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV that has a free trial up to level 60 including the Heavensward expansion? Because you can download now and play it for free and enjoy A Realm Reborn and Heavensward for free, so long as you don't hit that level 60 cap. You can download it here.
What are the PC requirements?
To help players determine whether their computers are up to the task of running Endwalker's new dungeons and features, Square Enix released a benchmark tool that will help players determine how well they can run Endwalker by playing a video showcasing some of the new areas and some intense battle scenes. According to Square Enix, "This benchmark uses updated scoring criteria to account for the increase in multiplayer content and provide a more accurate evaluation of how your computer will perform when running the latest version of the game."
Here are Endwalker's system requirements. Be sure to check out our choices for best CPU, best GPU, and best RAM to ensure your computer is up to snuff:
Final Fantasy XIV Endwalker minimum system requirements
- OS: Windows 8.1 64 bit, Windows 10 64 bit
- CPU: Intel Core i5 2.4GHz or higher
- Memory: 4GB or higher
- Available space on hard disk/SSD: 80GB or more
- Graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 or higher/AMD Radeon R7 260X or higher
- Screen resolution: 1280x720
- Internet: Broadband connection
- Communications port: If you are using a router, please set up your ports so that the below packets can pass through.
- (Ports that may be used) TCP: 80, 443, 54992～54994, 55006～55007, 55021～55040
- Sound card: DirectSound supported sound card
- DirectX: DirectX 11
Final Fantasy XIV Endwalker recommended system requirements
- OS: Windows 8.1 64 bit, Windows 10 64 bit
- CPU: Intel Core i7 3GHz or higher
- Memory: 8GB or higher
- Available space on hard disk/SSD: 80GB or more
- Graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 or higher/AMD Radeon RX 480 or higher
- Screen resolution: 1920x1080
- Internet: Broadband connection
- Communications port: If you are using a router, please set up your ports so that the below packets can pass through.
- (Ports that may be used) TCP: 80, 443, 54992～54994, 55006～55007, 55021～55040
- Sound card: DirectSound supported sound card
- DirectX: DirectX 11
There's also a benchmark screenshot campaign leading up to Endwalker's release. Post a screenshot of your benchmark numbers and character, and 1,400 randomly selected participants will receive one in-game item of their choice from Modern Aesthetics: Strife, Scarf of Wondrous Wit, Ahriman Choker, Mandragora Choker, Bluebird Earring, Noble Barding, or Gaelicap.
When will Endwalker release?
Endwalker was originally scheduled to release this summer but was delayed to Nov. 23, 2021.
How much will Endwalker cost? And are there any preorder bonuses?
Endwalker will cost $40 when it releases for the PC, PS4, and PS5 this November. For $20 more, you can grab a Digital Collectors Edition, which includes an Arion Mount, a Wind-up Porom Minion, and The Death Scythe from Final Fantasy XI.
Preordering any edition of the game will get you a Wind-up Palom Minion and the Menphina Earring, a piece of equipment that grants a 30% increase in EXP gained when you wear it. The exp boost applies only to Disciples of War or Magic classes and jobs, and will only work from Level 1-80. Preordering will also grant players access to Endwalker four days early, allowing players to start playing on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021.
Walking to the end
Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker
$40 on Square Enix Store $40 on Steam
Fighting until the end
Endwalker is the fourth expansion pack for Final Fantasy XIV and promises many new changes and updates to the long-running MMORPG.
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