May 14th and 15th saw the Final Fantasy XIV FanFest live broadcast. Fans from across the globe were invited to partake in the event simultaneously, which is a first. In case you missed out on the 2021 FanFest, here’s a recap.
WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR THE STORY OF FFXIV AHEAD. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!
Newest Expansion: Endwalker.
FanFest saw the full trailer release for Endwalker, which can now be found on YouTube. Endwalker is to be released on November 23rd, 2021, with pre-order being available. Endwalker is the climax of the Hydaelyn and Zodiark story arc – the story arc players have been in since the beginning.
The expansion brings new locations, a new level cap, and new jobs that the players can choose.
New Jobs: Sage and Reaper.
Sage had already been announced before FanFest. Sage is a new healer job coming to FFXIV, also showcased in the expansion trailer through Alphinaud. This new class uses defensive barriers to help party members and uses ‘Nouliths’ to channel aether to offensive attacks.
The second job reveal was a new melee DPS job, Reaper. Reapers use scythes as their main weapon, however can also summon an avatar from the Void to fight alongside them. Players have already started comparisons between Reaper and Dragoon, and for good reason, as they will be sharing equipment. Again, fans got a snippet of the job from Endwalker’s trailer, with Zenos yae Galvus holding his new scythe weapon.
Both of these jobs will only be available for players that purchase Endwalker, and will only be unlockable once reaching level 70. Another interesting feature about both jobs is that they haven’t been seen previously in the Final Fantasy franchise, so players have no idea what to expect.
New Races: Male Viera and Female Hrothgar
Producer Naoki Yoshida announced that as fans asked, fans would receive. Previously being known as a matriarchal race, Viera has been a female exclusive race. However, as fans continued to ask, Yoshida has provided.
The male-exclusive race, Hrothgar, will also be getting a female counterpart. However, nothing has been shown about it yet. It was explained that the male Viera is likely to be finished first so will be released first. Female Hrothgar will be following when it’s complete.
Other Features
There were many other things announced to be included in Endwalker. These include:
- Oceania Data Server – for players in Australia and New Zealand.
- New Beast Tribe to encounter, Loporrits, and Arkasodara
- New Alliance Raids; ‘Myths of the Realm’.
- Ishgard becoming a residential district.
- The island sanctuary.
- Another PVP mode.
- New gear and crafting recipes.
- More threats and challenges – including The Magus Sisters.
Additional information on features can be found on the official Final Fantasy XIV Endwalker website. If you wanted to watch the FanFest for yourself, you can watch it on Final Fantasy XIV’s twitch channel and on their YouTube channel.
