In the fan festival stream, new information about the Endwalker expansion for Final Fantasy XIV was presented. We at MeinMMO will reveal everything about the release, the new jobs, and content to you.
Update from November 9: We have updated the article with new information from the 66th Producer’s Letter.
What does Endwalker offer? The new expansion is set to conclude the ongoing story of Final Fantasy XIV. However, the MMORPG will continue afterward, detached from Hydaelyn and Zodiark.
Endwalker offers, in addition to the new story:
- A level increase from 80 to 90
- Two new jobs:
- New areas, dungeons, and raids
- A new PvP mode
- New content such as quests for collectors, NPC companions, and updates to housing
- Male Viera as a new playable gender
- New data centers in Oceania
Release of Endwalker
When does the expansion appear? The addon will be released on December 7, 2021. Pre-order players can play in early access starting December 3.
Initially, the expansion was supposed to be released on November 23. However, it was postponed by 2 weeks at short notice because director Yoshida wanted to ensure that the final quality checks were performed and everything was working properly. He issued an official statement with an apology:
This is what happens after the release: Along with the postponement, the developers also released a new timeline for the first patches of Endwalker.
- On December 21, the new 8-man raid Pandaemonium will be released in “normal” difficulty.
- On January 4, the epic version of the raid will follow, along with new Allagan stones and new armor sets.
- Also on January 4, the new treasure map dungeon, the Euphoratron, will be released.
A first glimpse of the expansion is offered again by the cinematic trailer for Endwalker.
Benchmark for Endwalker
PC players can test how well their PC is equipped for the Endwalker addon. In the official benchmark, you can try different settings, tweak the settings, and see how your PC performs under various conditions.
You also have the option to create a male Viera character. Male Viera are a novelty in Endwalker, as only the females have been playable so far.
You can see the cool benchmark trailer here:
Final Fantasy XIV comes to PS5
Final Fantasy XIV has been available on PS5 since May 2021. It comes with various upgrades such as a 4K mode, faster loading times, and higher resolution of UI elements. Moreover, according to lead project manager Shoichi Matsuzawa, further graphical updates are planned for the future.
Players who already own the PS4 version receive a free upgrade. You can already play FFXIV on PS5, but only through backward compatibility.
This is the status of the Xbox version: The Xbox version of FFXIV was already confirmed by director Phil Spencer years ago. However, there has been no new information since then.
In the Endwalker interview, producer Naoki Yoshida confirmed once again that work is underway and urged fans not to lose hope. Once there are news about it, the developer team will communicate them.
Pre-order and purchase Endwalker
This is how you pre-order: The standard editions can already be pre-ordered. Pre-orders for the limited Collector’s Edition started on May 15 at 1:00 PM.
These are the pre-order bonuses:
- Companion Palom
- Menphina Earring
- Early access to the Endwalker addon from November 19
These editions will be available: From Endwalker onwards, there will be no physical disks for FFXIV anymore, only digital downloads. So, you will not be able to buy a Blu-ray in the store. However, there will still be various editions. Here they are:
- The Standard Edition includes the Endwalker addon
- The Collector’s Box contains only the physical items from the Collector’s Edition. No in-game items, no in-game items. Players who buy Endwalker as a digital download and want the items from the physical Collector’s Edition can purchase this edition.
- Digital Collector’s Edition includes the Endwalker addon and the in-game items Mount Arion, companion Porom, and Death Scythe
The pre-order bonuses are included with pre-ordering in all editions.
This is the Collector’s Edition: The contents of the CE of Endwalker are as follows:
- The Endwalker addon as a code
- A statue of the Warrior of Light as a Paladin
- A pin shaped like the Azem stone
- A series of artwork prints
- A Loporrit plush
- In-game item Mount Arion
- In-game item companion Porom
- In-game item Death Scythe
This edition is now completely sold out and is only available on eBay at quite high prices.
Here is a trailer for the mount:
This is what new content Endwalker offers
With Endwalker, you will start your adventure in new areas. In the livestream, a number of areas have already been presented.
This is Thavnair: The city of Radz-at-Han is the capital on the island of Thavnair. This zone has a subtropical climate, and the job Dancer originally came from there. The areas are very colorful, and the architecture resembles that of India. As it is the home of the Dancers, there are statues depicting dancer heroes.
In the regions of Thavnair, you will encounter the wild tribe of the Arkasodara Matanga. These are elephant-like beings that live in Thavnair areas.
This is Garlemald: The area of Garlemald is the capital of the empire that players have been fighting against since the release of FFXIV. The city is, however, completely destroyed and devastated. The player’s task is to find out what happened there and what Zenos and Fandaniel did to the inhabitants.
During the Endwalker press tour, MeinMMO author Irina Moritz was able to enter the area. As expected, total destruction reigned there. The area was overrun by monsters and non-beings, and only a few buildings and camps in the vicinity were not destroyed.
The city itself was completely devastated, and in its center, a huge red glowing tower rose high into the sky.
This is Old Sharlayan: The city of scholars will be the new hub city, similar to the Crystarium in Shadowbringers. The members of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn are either originally from Sharlayan or were trained there.
One of the new areas of Old Sharlayan is called Labyrinthos, a mysterious place located underground. The sky inside is actually a dome illuminated by an artificial sun. You can have a look at it in the short trailer:
This is Mare Lamentorum: This is an area on the moon that players will visit. Why there is gravity and oxygen on the moon, players will find out in the story. There, players will meet the new race of the Loporrits.
Although there is no specific information yet regarding the moon area Mare Lamentorum, director Yoshida revealed in an interview that players will not have to worry about oxygen or gravity there, as it will be the same as on the actual planet.
There is also a trailer for the area:
This is the secret area: Additionally, the developers showed an artwork of a still secret new area. The name of this zone remains secret for now, as according to Yoshida it would be a significant spoiler.
It consists of several floating islands, where the ruins of a city are located. They are overgrown with plants and float far above the ground.
Some fans speculate that these are the ruins of the city of Amaurot, which could be admired in the Shadowbringers addon on the first shard world. The artwork would thus represent the actual remnants of the city on the source.
New Level Cap and Two New Jobs
The new expansion will raise the level cap from 80 to 90. At the same time, it will introduce two new jobs that you can utilize.
This is the Sage: The first will be the healer Sage:
- He uses a new unique weapon called Noulith
- With Endwalker, healers will be split into pure power healers and shield healers. The Sage will be a shield healer and will share this role with the Scholar
- The starting level is 70
- You do not need any class as a prerequisite
- The starting quest that unlocks the job will be in the city of Limsa Lominsa
The core gameplay of the Sage is based on an interaction between healing and damage. When you attack, you can also heal at the same time, and when you give shields to your teammates, you gain the resource Addersting that you need for damage.
More detailed information about Sage gameplay and a dungeon run can be found in our preview from the Endwalker press tour:
This is the Reaper: The second job will be a melee fighter called Reaper.
- He wields a scythe as a weapon
- He is a melee fighter who draws his power from the world of darkness, the 13th shard of Hydaelyn
- In battle, the Reaper can summon a non-being (avatar) to assist in combat
- The starting level is 70
- You do not need a class as a prerequisite
The Reaper is a classic melee fighter who, in addition to his normal base combo, also uses attacks from his avatar in combat. The highlight of the rotation is merging with the avatar during a brief burst phase, in which a lot of damage is dealt.
Detailed impressions and information about the gameplay of the Reaper can be found in our preview from the Endwalker press tour:
New Dungeons and a Special Raid
With Endwalker, there will be a number of new dungeons that are supposed to offer a mix of fantasy and sci-fi. There will be both leveling dungeons that lead up to level 90 and expert dungeons that can only be accessed starting from level 90.
In a trailer, you can get an impression of the look and feel of the new dungeons:
Additionally, the new high-end raid Pandaemonium was introduced. It is designed for 8 players and will be available in normal and epic mode.
- The normal mode will be released on December 21
- The epic mode will be released on January 4
The artwork associated with it features a character who is already dead. Lahabrea was the villain from A Realm Reborn.
Due to the name and the artwork, fans speculate that in the raid, players will visit the “Underworld” of FFXIV and see old familiar characters again who died during the course of the story as a kind of final farewell.
During a developer stream, director Yoshida gave a brief insight into the first area of the raid:
Overhaul of PvP
What will change: With the release of patch 6.1 of Endwalker, there will be major changes in the PvP of FFXIV. Primarily, the competitive 4v4 mode FEAST will be abolished. In its place, the new 5v5 mode Crystal Conflict will be introduced.
In this mode, two teams compete for the Tactical Crystal located in the center of the arena. The objective is to transport the crystal to the opposing team’s base while defending against them and also the obstacles on the battlefield.
The mode will also not have the usual role restrictions of Tank, healer, and DPS. Players will receive special PvP abilities that allow them to heal themselves, for example. The matchmaking will be skill-based.
The rewards for Crystal Conflict will be structured similarly to those in FEAST by seasons, with ranking rewards divided into individual placements and Tiers. The winners receive titles, achievements, and other honors as rewards.
This is how the reward system will be overhauled: In general, the rewards in PvP will undergo a significant overhaul. Square Enix will introduce a kind of battle pass for general rewards, similar to those found in shooters.
This type of system will initially be referred to as “Series,” which will run over a longer period (for example, between two major patches). During a Series, players can earn EXP through participation in all PvP activities and “level up” their Series.
By leveling up, they will unlock new rewards and earn currency, which they can then exchange for further rewards. This includes cool equipment, mounts, and other items. Once a Series is complete, the level of all players will reset to 1, and leveling will begin anew.
New Features for Collectors, Housing, and More
For those who are not only interested in new areas and battles, some new features outside of that have already been announced. The following contents have been announced:
- New side quests for crafters and gatherers
- The role quests will be expanded into 5 categories: Healers, tanks, melee fighters, ranged fighters, and mages
- The popular character Estinien will come as a new NPC companion
- There will be an update for the casino Gold Saucer
- The new housing area in Ishgard is coming in 6.1. Players are currently rebuilding it in the MMORPG.
Additionally, in addition to World Travel, a Center Travel System will allow players to travel freely between different Data Centers and visit their friends in the USA, Europe, and Japan.
Currently, it is still unknown when this option will be available. Due to the shortage of semiconductors and travel restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is difficult for the development team to work on data centers in other countries.
Therefore, Yoshida wants to focus first on ensuring stable servers at the launch of Endwalker.
This is Island Sanctuary: With “Island Sanctuary” a completely new type of content is planned. It seems to be a kind of personal housing for players, where you will be able to raise animals and grow vegetables. It sounds a lot like a “Stardew Valley” or “Harvest Moon” mode for FFXIV.
This content is designed for solo gameplay, but director Yoshida said in an interview that you can invite your friends to your island and also visit other islands. The developers want to invest a lot of effort into this content, which is why it might not be released right at the launch of Endwalker, according to Yoshida.
Over time, you will also be able to expand the area, and new content for it will continue to be produced throughout the course of the addon.
Many Adjustments to the Combat System
With Endwalker, several changes to the combat system are also planned, which were also announced in the live stream:
- Old abilities will be revised and new skills will be added
- Overall, the values in the game will be reduced (de-powering) so that HP and damage numbers do not inflate.
- The calculation formulas will not be changed, but the numbers used in those formulas
- Players should not become weaker as a result
Yoshida explained in the live stream that these adjustments are necessary for the future of FFXIV. The game should be supported for many more years.
Most jobs will receive new abilities that complement their skill kit and further strengthen them. However, some others will receive a complete overhaul. These jobs include:
- Summoner, which will feel like a real summoner starting in Endwalker
- Monk, which will gain a new resource and can now perform combos in the style of FFVI
- Astrologian, which alongside White Mage will become the second power healer. The Nocturnal Sect will be removed, and he will not distribute shields anymore like before.
This is what the story of Endwalker revolves around
What is Endwalker about? The new expansion is set to conclude the 10-year main storyline. Players are to prevent the end of the world for the second time. Zenos yae Galvus and the Ascian Fandaniel are attempting to bring about the end days that destroyed Amaurot thousands of years ago.
The artwork for the expansion already shows a ship flying to the moon. There the antagonist Zodiark is imprisoned. The journey to the moon was also confirmed in the livestream, and it was promised that all open questions regarding the conflict between Hydaelyn and Zodiark would be answered.
You can watch the launch trailer for the addon here, which teases the story and some dungeons.
What happens after Endwalker? Although the story is set to conclude all open questions, that is not the end for Final Fantasy XIV. The following storyline with patch 6.1 will be new and different.
It is also completely detached from Hydaelyn and Zodiark. Director Yoshida stated in several interviews that he cannot reveal anything yet about the story. He also cannot say whether it will be shorter than the previous saga or will span several addons as well.
The development team will observe the reactions of players to the new content and will decide dynamically how to proceed with the story based on that.
If you haven’t ventured into Final Fantasy XIV yet, but the information about the expansion has piqued your curiosity, then we reveal everything important about getting started in the MMORPG:
Final Fantasy XIV: Starter guide for a smooth start to the MMORPG
