In the “Producer’s Letter” livestream, Final Fantasy XIV showcased the content of the upcoming major update. You can look forward to this content in August.
What kind of Mecha is this? The next major update for FFXIV is coming in just a few weeks. From the release on August 11, players can enjoy the new content, which will allow you to control a cool giant Mecha.
In the new trailer for Patch 5.3, you can see the Warrior of Light (the player character) sitting inside the flying battle robot and controlling it (from 1:14). The beast was apparently built by the inventor Cid and his engineers to counter the weapons of the Garlean Empire.
You can watch the German trailer for the update here:
How will this work? Players will be able to control the Mecha during the side quest series “Concerns of Werlyt.” You need to complete the previous quests in the series to unlock it. So far, that includes the fight against the Ruby Weapon.
Your own job skills will not be available while controlling the Mecha. According to director Yoshida, the Mecha will have its own rotation with unique skills that you must execute in battle.
Who the opponent is that we see in the trailer is still unknown.
Mass Battles for 72 Players
Unlike the Mecha battle, which is designed for one player, the new content Bozjan Southern Front is a massive instanced battle involving up to 72 players.
The front battles continue the quest line about the new “Relic Weapons” from Shadowbringers, the weapons of Queen Gunnhildr. It is an ongoing quest line, at the end of which players can craft powerful weapons for their jobs. The next stage will happen at the Bozjan Southern Front.
How can you participate in the battle? To unlock the Bozjan Front, you must complete the previous quests in the “Queen’s Weapons” series.
Your character does not necessarily have to be level 80 to participate in the battles. Starting at level 71, you can join the battles of Bozja. You will be temporarily boosted to level 80 and gain access to all your job’s abilities.
The front also serves as an alternative leveling option to bring other jobs to max level.
How does the content play out? In the Bozja instance, you will regularly get into fights. On the battlefield, you will encounter the IVth Legion of Garlemald, which must be defeated:
- “Skirmishes” function like normal FATEs and will appear very frequently. All players can participate.
- “Critical Engagements” are larger and triggered when enough Skirmishes have been mastered. They allow only a limited number of players, which is 24 or 48 players. You must register separately for them.
- The engagements can also be solo. If you perform particularly well in a normal engagement, the game will invite you to a solo fight.
Similar to Eureka, there will be special abilities within the Bozja instance, which you obtain through crystals. You can only carry a certain amount of them, so players must decide which ones they want.
All 3 types of fights will reward you with crystals, loot boxes, and “Mettle.” When you’ve collected a certain amount, you can rank up.
This part of the update will come somewhat later compared to other content. It will be released with Patch 5.35.
Update Brings New Story, Raid, and Boss Battles
Along with the cool Mecha battle, a whole series of additional content is coming to FFXIV. The story of the Shadowbringers expansion will conclude with Patch 5.3. The upcoming patches will then lay the groundwork for the next yet-to-be-announced expansion.
Director Yoshida mentioned in the last livestream that the update will contain the most cutscenes ever and will be very emotional. In addition to the story quests, there will also be:
- The next part of the Nier raid YoRHa: Dark Apocalypse, which is designed for 24 players.
- A new dungeon.
- A new trial boss battle, which is currently a secret to avoid spoilers.
- Next stage of the reconstruction of Ishgard (coming later with Patch 5.31).
- Expansion of the free trial version to level 60.
- Balance adjustments for the combat jobs.
- New armor, fashion items, and furniture for the houses.
- New cosmetic items like mounts and pets.
- A new beast tribe of dwarves focused on crafting.
- A new testing system for crafters that allows you to try crafting an item without having to use materials.
Starting with Patch 5.3, the base game of FFXIV and the Heavensward expansion will be free. This is the perfect time to take a closer look at the MMORPG.
