Final Fantasy XIV has a colourful history. Starting with a rocky launch, shutting down, a complete rework and relaunch, all the way to now, where it’s become one of the most popular MMORPGs around and continues to go from strength to strength. Now with its fourth expansion on the horizon, it looks to close out this current storyline with a bang. Tonnes of content and features will make this finale to the current story an epic one.
To help you prepare for this epic new adventure, here is all the information out there for this upcoming expansion; everything you need to know about Final Fantasy 14: Endwalker.
What is the release date for Final Fantasy 14: Endwalker?
Final Fantasy 14: Endwalker releases on November 23, 2021 for PC, Mac, Playstation 5, and Playstation 4.
Pre-orders are live now with multiple versions of the game to pick from, with each including some bonuses ranging from in-game cosmetics to real-world collectible models and art cards. Players who pre-order also gain early access to the expansion, starting on November 19th.
Not sure if your PC can run it? Well, Square Enix has released an official benchmark tool for FFXIV which you can download now.
What’s the story of Final Fantasy 14: Endwalker? (Spoilers)
Endwalker follows on directly from the current expansion Shadowbringers, with the stakes higher than ever. It present players and the scions with “an even greater calamity than ever before – a second advent of the Final Days.” In essence, it’s the end of the world, and only by recruiting new allies from across the realm, including some new areas, will you stand a chance of stopping the coming calamity.
This also marks the finale of the Hydraelyn and Zodiark story, the main storyline in the game since its release. It looks to be a big and epic finale, with around 30 percent more story and cutscenes than its predecessor. Unlike previous expansions, this expansion will conclude its story in the initial release, rather than continue it with post-launch updates. Instead, future updates will start a new narrative arc which right now is completely unknown, but the game’s director Naoki Yoshida has given some hints to what could be in store for the MMO in the future including unexplored areas, continents, and portals to distant realms. Oh, and maybe even time travel.
What new areas do we explore in Final Fantasy 14: Endwalker?
Final Fantasy 14: Endwalker has a few new places for players to explore. There is the new cities of Radz-at-Han, a city atop a huge pillar of rock that is bursting with colour. And Old Sharlayan, the new player hub that is a gleaming city of scholars and knowledge.
Thanavir, one of the new areas to explore in Endwalker.
There’s also Labyrinthos, a vast subterranean area found under Old Sharlayan and a repository for tomes and treaties from across the world. Thavanir, a tropical coastline and dense rainforest rolled into one, complete with a giant violet crystal landmark glowing over the landscape. And Garlemald, the imperial capital and seat of the Garland empire.
We’re also heading to Mare Lamentorum, a moon base. Yep, a moon base. Not sure why yet, but it looks like it’s going to be a blast.
What are the new classes in Final Fantasy 14: Endwalker?
Two new classes will be added for players to unlock and experience. First, there is the Sage, a healer class who, using 4 aether infused floaty robotic arms, can heal players, provide barriers and defensive buffs, and attack enemies with magic style spells.
The second is the Reaper, a melee DPS class. They use a massive scythe in combat and have a shadowy void avatar to fight alongside them. On top of that, players can combine with their avatars, making them more powerful in the process.
The Sage and Reaper require players to already have a class at level 70 in either a discipline of war or magic class. You’ll also need to finish a few quests. For the sage, these can be found in Limsa Lominsa, and for the reaper in Ul’dah. Fortunately, these classes will start at level 70, so you will be able to drive right in with lots of new abilities, play styles to learn, and cool gear to unlock.
What else is new in Final Fantasy 14: Endwalker?
That’s the heavy hitters covered, but there are a lot of new features and content coming for players to enjoy. Here is a rundown and quick info on what players can expect from this next expansion.
Level cap increased to 90
With new expansions come new levels. In this case, players will be able to level up their characters to 90, up from the game’s current max level of 80.
New Dungeons and Raids
A new expansion wouldn’t be complete without new dungeons to undertake, and it looks to have some of the game’s more interesting ones to date.
Pandaemonium will be a high-end 8-player raid series for players to tackle.
The game’s director Naoki Yoshida has said Endwalker will have the same amount of dungeons as Shadowbringers, but the time and work put into these new dungeons is in order to make these new dungeons feel more robust, in both gameplay and presentation.
There will also be new raids, starting with Pandaemonium. There isn’t much information on this content as of yet. But if it’s seen the same attention as dungeons, that only bodes well for players.
New Beast Tribes
Two new Beast Tribes will be coming in this expansion, the first being the Arkasodara tribe, a group of big blue elephants in colourful apparel.
Arkasodara, one of two new Beast tribes in Endwalker.
The second is the Loporrits, a race of small bunny people who live on the moon. Yep, moon bunnies.
These will be the usual Beast tribe trappings. Daily quests to earn reputation and rewards, as well as currency to spend on specials dyes, armour, and mounts.
The moon bunnies, Loporrits.
Male Viera
Added in Shadowbringers, the Viera have been gender-locked to females only since their addition to the FFXIV world.
Now in Endwalker, Viera will be playable as their male counterparts, so those who have been waiting on a chance to play a bunny boy will get their wish granted.
Housing in Ishgard
After many years, players will finally be able to purchase housing in a fan favourite city, Ishgard. The housing wards will be visible when the expansion releases, but players will need to wait till patch 6.1 before being able to purchase their lots and move to their new homes.
Belt removal
The belt armour slot will be removed from the game. Along with that, all belts are being removed from characters and no longer being usable. This is due to a few reasons, like having no aesthetic purpose (having no model), having a low impact on stats, and taking up data space. The freed up data will be used to give weapons and rings 15 extra slots in your armoury. 5 will be reserved for later use.
Island sanctuary
Simply put, island sanctuaries are Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing in FFXIV.
Tend to animals and enjoy the quiet life in your Island Sanctuary.
This new addition has players tending to their land, growing crops, raising animals, and exploring their island. It aimed to be a relaxing, slow-paced mode to enjoy at your own pace. With no pressures to hinder you, you can enjoy some downtime from saving the world.
Not much else is currently known about this mode, but it sounds like it will be a great new and very different addition to Endwalker for players.
Expanded Trust System
Introduced in Shadowbringers, the trust system is being expanded to include more NPCs you can bring along into dungeons, including fan favourite Estinien Wyrmblood. It’s currently not known if the system will see any other changes or additions.
Travel to different data centres
Revealed during a Final Fantasy expansion Livestream, game director Yoshida spoke about a new system that would allow players to visit entirely different data centres, meaning players could play with friends and players regardless of server, even if they are in a different region.
In essence, this system will remove the final barriers between playing with friends and players from anywhere in the world. It’s likely to have restrictions to keep worlds and servers balanced. That said, it’s still a great addition that will see players being able to enjoy the game with anyone, anywhere.
