Despite the world’s difficulties getting any form of gang again collectively, the Final Fantasy 14 dev group has began teasing the contents of its subsequent patch with the newest Live Letter, the primary one to be significantly affected by COVID-19.
It occurred final week and was livestreamed in Japanese, however right now the total English translation was launched, giving us some official particulars and clues as to what’s taking place subsequent patch. Here’s the main points.
The elephant within the room was the affect of COVID-19 on this patch’s launch. The quick reply is the patch “will be delayed by at least a month” from its meant launch in June. FFXIV’s patch 5.three might be launched on the earliest in July, however even the developer wasn’t assured sufficient to offer a brand new anticipated launch date, and it could possibly be even later.
We do have a reputation, although. Reflections in Crystal would be the title of the brand new patch, and we’ve affirmation that “the Shadowbringers storyline enters its conclusion” with its story. A brand new dungeon has been confirmed for this patch’s storyline, with a brand new trial (and excessive) this patch seemingly additionally tying in. This means we’re seemingly seeing the top to the Crystal Exarch’s story, the First, and perhaps a final goodbye to Emet-Selch if the teaser image is anything to go by.
Perhaps much more thrilling for a lot of is that this patch brings lots of the A Realm Reborn modifications followers have been asking for. Seven years previous now, you’re nonetheless required to finish A Realm Reborn to maneuver on to the expansions (not like one thing like World of Warcraft, the place you’re rushed alongside and caught up with everybody else at the beginning of expansions). So the event group have reworked it.
Thirteen % of all A Realm Reborn quests have been eliminated. Many quests’ meaningless steps of chatting to a random NPC for 2 traces of dialogue are gone. A Realm Reborn’s patch quests, a set of tales that vary from world-shattering to completely tedious, have been reduce in locations. The expertise achieve has been adjusted such that gamers received’t want to finish a single facet quest (except you’re actually, actually into 7-year-old MMORPG dialogue, for some inexplicable motive). Players can now fly in A Realm Reborn zones, too, making navigating these zones much less of a chore.
Outside the principle storyline and ARR updates, there’s new Sorrow of Werlyt (that’s the Ruby Weapon sequence, for these taking part in purely for the FF7 references) quests too, though no trial this time, only a solo fight encounter. Perhaps most fascinating to these in search of references, although, is the Pupper’s Bunker, the brand new 24-person Alliance Raid, continuing the NieR: Automata crossover series of quests. As a fast recap, 9S from NieR: Automata is on FFXIV’s alternate world The First for unknown causes, creating a number of useless 2Bs, controlling the machines and usually being evil. Now, it appears he’s recreating the bunker from NieR: Automata, a superbly regular endeavour.
There’s new upgradable weapon content material, the Bozjan Southern Front (Shadowbringers’ equivalent to The Forbidden Land from the Eureka series), a ‘large-scale’ (100-odd gamers) occasion that may make it easier to improve the Resistance Weapons from patch 5.2, though it’s completely optionally available, and there’s one other technique to upgrading them that they’ve not spoken about but.
And lastly, there’s an entire new form of Trial out there. This is the primary time this growth {that a} new issue tier has been launched, and it’s referred to as an Unreal Trial, a combat the place primals from A Realm Reborn are scaled as much as degree 80 and re-balanced. This patch it’ll be Shiva, however that’s all we all know: the teaser picture options Khloe Aliapoh within the background, so it’ll seemingly be finished by her, which is supported by the actual fact finishing this trial offers entry to a minigame referred to as Faux Hollows, which, you guessed it, there aren’t any particulars on.
There’s additionally new high quality of life modifications for crafters within the type of Trial Synthesis (which permits for testing a crafting recipe with out utilizing supplies), plus new Ishgardian Restoration targets for crafters to sink their tooth into. A brand new Tribe, the Dwarves of Shadowbringers, will give crafters new day by day quests too. Expect much more lali-hos.
Going by earlier cycles, anticipate the subsequent Live Letter in a couple of weeks to indicate key artwork and presumably a trailer, however given ongoing occasions across the coronavirus we’re in uncharted territory, so perhaps simply bide your time re-reading these. Of course, given it’s seemingly the subsequent patch or two may embrace point out of Black Rose, a lethal airborne weapon that kills those that breathe it in… yeah, perhaps wait a month or two, improvement group.
