Final Fantasy XIV Shadowbringers Expansion Announced

During this year’s Final Fantasy XIV anniversary celebration, Square Enix has announced yet another expansion together with the Blue Mage job.

Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers brings with itself a whole slew of content additions and changes. Square Enix, being on top of their game this time, has created a comprehensive overview of them:

■ Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers

What awaits the Liberator?

Tension grips the land as six nations now stand allied against the Imperial armies of Garlemald.

With the threat of war on the horizon, the Warrior of Light comes face to face with an old enemy seemingly risen from the ashes—Zenos.

Could this impending conflict serve as a catalyst for an eighth and final umbral era?

It is time, once and for all…

To take down the Garlean Empire!

Key Plot Point No. 1

With the fall of the Scions, what will become of the Warrior of Light and the allied armies?

Key Plot Point No. 2

The First Emperor: Solus Zos Galvus

Elidibus: An Ascian with the Face of Zenos

Key Plot Point No. 3

The Warrior of Light must become the Warrior of Darkness!

■ Version 5.0 Features

• Multiple new jobs
• A new level cap (from Level 70 to Level 80)
• Battle system maintenance
• Sprawling new areas
  • New Area No. 1: The Rak’Tika Greatwood
  • New Area No. 2: Amh Araeng
• New Beast Tribes and new Primals
  • The Nu Mou
• Thrilling new dungeons
• Challenging new high-end raids
• Exciting new Alliance raids
• End-game content for Disciples of the Land and Hand
• Restoration of the Holy See of Ishgard
• NPC battle assist system: “Trust” – Similar to Final Fantasy XI, players will be able to party up with a story non-player character and do quests with them. This system will continually be updated with new non-player characters.
• New Game+ – Enables players to replay any of the old content.
• New System: World Visit – “Visit” worlds on the same data center via Aetherytes in Limsa Lominsa, Gridania, and Ul’dah. Progress through quests and other duties on the world of your choice. (Certain features are not available when visiting a different world.) Players can move freely between worlds on the same data center.
• New Playable Race – While the identity of the new race was not specifically stated, director and producer Naoki Yoshida hinted at it being Viera with the Bugs Bunny on the back of his t-shirt. Patch 4.5 will also hint at this race.
• More new information on Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers will be shared at the Final Fantasy XIV Paris Fan Festival on February 2.

■ Version 4.5 Features

• New Job: Blue Mage – Blue mage will be available to all players that own Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, have reached level 50 as a Disciple of War or Magic, and have completed the 2.0 main scenario. Taking inspiration from previous Final Fantasy titles, the blue mage job will provide a unique solo gameplay experience in which players will learn monster actions and advance through blue mage-specific content. Blue mage will begin with a level cap of 50, and increase in the future with the addition of new content for the job.
  • Available at Patch 4.5
  • The first “limited job” in Final Fantasy XIV
  • Not connected with any class
  • Monster actions are “learned”
  • Blu-only Duty to be introduced
  • Level cap set at 50 (will increase in the future)
  • More details will be announced on November 17 during Naoki Yoshida’s Letter from the Producer Live.

Important Announcements

• End of support to Windows 32-bit operating systems
• World regrouping: The addition of new North America and European data centers

To top off the celebrations, Square Enix also released two trailers, a direct teaser for the expansion and one presenting the Blue Mage in action. Both can now be watched below:

Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers will be extinguishing the light when it launches sometime in the summer of 2019.