With the Covid-19 epidemic delaying games left and right, everything is in in the air, but Final Fantasy 14’s next expansion will be released on November 23, somewhat later than usual. The announcement was unveiled today during the Final Fantasy 14 digital fan fest, and though the expansion is arriving a little late, it was expected owing to the game’s whole update schedule being postponed last year.
Unlike most MMOs, Final Fantasy 14 follows a very rigid schedule, with major patches released every 3ish months, though having to adapt to working from home last year resulted in some slight delays. Previous FF14 expansions have usually been released in the summer, but the delays have obviously pushed things back.
Along with the release date, Square Enix released an extended CG trailer for the upcoming expansion, which was, as usual, really darn spectacular. The six-minute trailer may be viewed above. It doesn’t give many new facts, but it does introduce many new places and hints some important plot events.
Endwalker will be a highly essential addition. It marks the conclusion of the current story arc, which has been ongoing since Final Fantasy 14 was released as a defective MMO (and was then remade into a very good one). Unlike other MMOs, this one will have a huge, dramatic ending that signals the end of the present story—even though the MMO will continue to exist. What happens next, though, remains a mystery.
Include in this update is the addition of two new classes. The Reaper, who was announced only during Final Fantasy 14’s annual fan fest conference, will be one of two new classes added to the game when Endwalker alongside The Sage with the upcoming update. Information on both classes is as follows:
The Reaper is a melee DPS class that specializes in summoning void powers to aid it in combat. It will start at level 70 (so you’ll be ready to leap right into Endwalker) and has no necessary classes—but you must have one at level 70 to unlock it. Reapers are a particularly unique DPS class in that they appear to be able to conjure an “Avatar from the abyss” to join the fight, thereby making them another pet-based class similar to the Summoner. Reapers can also act as a host for their Avatar, granting them superhuman strength and the ability to inflict massive damage. The full reveal trailer for The Reaper can be seen below.
Next is The Sage. This class fights with the Nouliths, four levitating blades that the healer controls about to cut at opponents, fire off magical spells or augmentations, or form protective barriers around comrades. The Nouliths are also unique to Final Fantasy 14, which is unusual given how much is often taken from previous games.
The Sage can shield the group with barriers generated by the Nouliths, which might play a fascinating role in FF14’s intricately choreographed confrontations. Bosses are already a team sport, so I’m interested to see how they’re incorporated. It should make for some tricky timing and maneuvering.
There will be no necessary classes for the Sage, but you will need the Endwalker expansion and at least one job leveled to 70 or above if you wish to try it out. The full reveal trailer:
Endwalker and FF14 6.0 will also distinguish between pure healers and barrier healers more clearly. The distinction will also be used in matching. We’re still waiting to see what those modifications will entail.
More information on the expansion will be provided when it becomes available. Final Fantasy 14: Endwalker will be released on November 23, 2021.
