While most of the attention in the long-running Final Fantasy franchise is currently on the critically acclaimed Final Fantasy XV, Square Enix is not ignoring the other games in the series.
At the Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival in Tokyo, Square Enix announced more details regarding the upcoming Stormblood expansion for the game, giving gamers more information on what they could expect from the update.
Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood Unveiled
Square Enix first unveiled Stormblood in October, through a teaser trailer and a presentation by producer and director Naoki Yoshida.
According to Yoshida, the expansion will have players try to retake control over the nation of Ala Mhigo from the Garlean Empire, with Zenos to be the name of the story line's main villain. Stormblood will feature new dungeons, new raids, and a new Primal, and will also rework Final Fantasy XIV's inventory system while increasing the level cap to 70.
There was no specific release date announced for Stormblood, with the game only said to be arriving in summer 2017. The previous expansion for Final Fantasy XIV, Heavensward, added new classes and new gear to the game, and players are looking forward to more of the same for Stormblood.
More Details On Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood
While Heavensward added a few new classes in the form of the Dark Knight, the Machinist, and the Astrologian, Stormblood will only be adding one new class, but it is the fan favorite Red Mage.
The Red Mage, which has been previously seen in past Final Fantasy titles, utilizes a mix of physical and magic attacks. For Final Fantasy XIV, the Red Mage will be more of the same as a hybrid melee and ranged magic DPS, with rapiers and magicked crystals as primary weapons. Red Mage users will be able to chain several spells for massive damage and then pile on the punishment with melee attacks.
For the first time in Final Fantasy XIV, Stormblood will allow players to swim and dive. In addition, the expansion will feature the new serpent-like beast tribe Ananta and the new Primal, Lakshmi, the Lady of Bliss.
A new raid, titled "Return to Ivalice," will also come with Stormblood, with the name of the 24-man raid evoking nostalgia for long-time fans of the franchise. There will also be a second new raid named "The Bend of Time - Omega," and it will have eight players go up against a new Omega Weapon.
Lastly, there will also be a collector's edition for Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood, which will allow gamers to acquire collectible items such as an exclusive Zenos figure, a Stormblood art book, an original decal and a cloth map of Eorzea.
The release date of Stormblood has also been revealed to be June 20. That is six months away, which is a long wait for Final Fantasy XIV gamers who are already looking forward to the expansion's contents.
