FFXIV Endwalker Expansion Announcement

              Final Fantasy, a franchise over thirty years old and has spawned an international sensation that has touched on almost every major medium and genre imaginable, including two MMORPGs. The more recent of which is Final Fantasy XIV (or fourteen if you have trouble with roman numerals) and the subject of our article.

            Final Fantasy 14 had its latest expansion, Endwalker, announced back in February but only recently are we seeing the details about what is contained within. The recent final fantasy fanfest was streamed for free and gave us and other players a first-hand look at what Endwalker would have to offer.  This expansion is sure to be a hit with the player-base.  We will most definitely have FFXIV accounts for sale when this expansion is released.

            Endwalker’s announcement already sparked a ton of interest due to it being the culmination of a multi-expansion spanning story arc. A long-brewing war is about to come to fruition and the players, the heroes of light, are going to be at the very center of it. The FF14 fandom has already sung the praises of the storytelling in the previous expansions and Endwalker’s climax has been hotly anticipated. Now we have an official release date of November 23, 2021. A six-month wait may not be what people we hoping for, especially after waiting for a release date since February. But having a date on the calendar is always a little better than untethered anticipation, at least in our opinion.

            The storyline isn’t the only new thing coming with Endwalker, though. Tons of new content are coming with it. The level cap is being raised to 90. Raised level caps are pretty standard MMO expansion fair, but the ability to grow the power of your character or see what new abilities this cap has the potential to unlock is always one of the best parts of an expansion launch, even if it tends to be downplayed compared to other content.

            Additionally, players will be seeing new zones to explore. One of which is the region of Garlemald. Garlemald has been a focal point of the war that has been brewing through the plotline and players are going to be able to see it close up for the first time. Equally as exciting, but probably for different reasons, is another region that will be made available in Endwalker: the moon. That’s right, your character will be able to go to the freaking moon.

            Speaking of characters, Endwalker comes with two new jobs for players to explore. The Sage, a new healer, and the Reaper, who has more of a DPS focus. The new jobs will need to be unlocked and start at level 70 so you will be able to instantly use these job classes with the new content. The Sage uses four floating gun-like devices called Nouliths that are mainly used to establish protective barriers and heal your party but they are also the Sage’s primary form of attack. The Reaper is a damage dealer who wields a giant scythe. They actually work somewhat similar to the summoner, as they can call forth an avatar to attack on their behalf. The main difference is that the Reaper can fuse with their avatar to push their damage potential to a new level. These are some new and intriguing concepts that have us really curious about character build possibilities.

            Another feature that struck fans as interesting is the introduction of farming simulation elements to FF14. The details have been sparse but apparently, a harvest moon-like addition is being made that is extremely different from more action-packed gameplay. Definitely being aimed at players looking for a more relaxed experience with their cozy homes. That is something we can totally get behind. Developers looking at what people like doing in the game and changing the experience to make more of that. People like relaxed socializing, and there should be a place in the game for players like that as well.

            Another exciting announcement is that FF14 will be joining the PS5 lineup. The PlayStation 5 version will come with a whole host of improvements, including better performance and frame rate. Good news too if you already picked up the MMO for your PS4, you’ll be able to get your upgraded copy for free.

            There will of course be more traditional MMO expansion staples, like new dungeons and raids. All the other new content is exciting, but raids, additional high-level late gameplay, is where the carbs are going to come from. Not to mention that the majority of the players will be spending most of their playtime within this content. It is also, unfortunately, one of the aspects of the expansion we currently know the least about. Does this make me hesitant to pick it up myself? Not particularly. The developers have shown a positive enough track record with this set of expansions that I am willing to invest in, but I can understand if others wanted to wait until they heard more before getting excited.

            That being said, if you are extremely excited for the release, so much that you just can’t wait, pre-ordering the expansion will give you tentative early access, supposedly making the gave available November 19th. A few days isn’t much, but it can mean a world of difference for hardcore MMO players. The standard expansion is priced at $40, with the special digital edition coming with an additional special mount, minion, and weapon, along with a $60 price tag. If you are so inclined there is also the special physical edition that comes with a plethora of cool merch including figures pins and posters. A whole host of stuff to justify the hefty $140 cost, but certainly tempting for us die-hard fans.

            We look forward to counting down the months until the release of Endwalker with the rest of you. By the time it comes around, we are sure everyone's characters will be ready for the final war. Make sure to optimize your equipment and finish all the tasks you put off. And if you’re not done by the time it launches? No excuses then, you had six months to prepare!