Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker – Everything we know about the new expansion

Final Fantasy XIV is one of the biggest games in the world right now, drawing in millions of new and existing players with the arrival of each major expansion. Endwalker is poised to be one of the biggest yet, and the hype surrounding it is almost unparalleled. 

Endwalker will mark the end of a storyline that began back in 2013 in A Realm Reborn, with players gearing up to say farewell to a cavalcade of characters they’ve come to love over the years. It’s going to be emotional, riveting and surprising in equal measure; and we absolutely cannot wait. 

Trusted Reviews has compiled everything you need to know about Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker including all the latest news, release date, classes, trailers and more. 

Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker release date – When is it coming out?

Square Enix has confirmed that Endwalker is aiming for a ‘Fall 2021’ release date across PS4, PS5, PC and Mac. 

The latest patch is set to arrive on April 13 alongside the open beta test for Final Fantasy XIV on PS5, which itself will bring a number of visual improvements to the MMORPG. 

FFXIV’s Digital Fan Festival will take place in May and feature a number of announcements, so expect further details on the release date there. 

Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker trailer – How does it look?

The upcoming expansion has been shown off a handful of times now, with footage ranging from a gorgeous CG trailer to detailed footage of new jobs coming to Endwalker. We’ve compiled all of the essential viewing below to make things easier: 

Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker Jobs – What new ones can we expect?

While we expect two will be announced before its release, only one new job has been announced for Endwalker thus far. This comes in the form of Sage, a combat healer who wields a selection of futuristic laser guns which float gracefully alongside them. 

The Sage will focus on both healing their allies while summoning barriers which can protect them against incoming damage. They will seemingly focus on DPS more than traditional healers like The White Mage, but should still be applicable in the majority of situations. 

I adore their design, their armour is a cloth mixture of light whites and bright blues which will help them stand out in the midst of a chaotic raid. Alphinaud will be donning the class in Endwalker, so there’s a chance Sage will also play some narrative importance in the months to come.

 

Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker story – What is happening?

Endwalker will mark the conclusion of the Hydaelyn and Zodiark storyline that began with A Realm Reborn. This means characters such as Alisaie, Alphinaud, Y’shtola, Urianger and others will see their individual stories conclude with the latest expansion. Square Enix has said the story will be told in its entirety with the base expansion, and patch quests will instead be used to introduce an entirely new narrative in the world of FFXIV. 

“Yet shadowed by their triumph in the First, the Warrior of Light and Scions of the Seventh Dawn are home at last. An even greater calamity than refulgent oblivion has been building in their absence, however─a second advent of the Final Days. Should all despair, the myriad conflicts that now ravage the land cannot but foretoken an end to life in the Source,” reads the official website. 

Those wishing to experience Endwalker at its best will need to have completed all previous expansions and the latest round of patch quests, which is required to even gain access to the new content. I’m honestly not ready to say farewell to these characters, and I can tell Square Enix won’t hesitate to pull violently at our heartstrings. 

Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker – PS5 version

The open beta for Final Fantasy XIV’s PS5 version will arrive on April 13, and will likely see its full release closer to Endwalker’s eventual launch. It’s poised to offer increased resolution, greater performance and a 4K user interface that will vastly improve upon the original experience. 

I’m far too exciting for such minor additions, but it will make moment-to-moment gameplay infinitely more engaging if done right. You can see it for yourself below in a brief teaser video

Game director Naoki Yoshida described to Trusted Reviews in a recent interview exactly how the DualSense controller will work in the game: “We are indeed incorporating detailed adjustments so that you’ll be able to make use of the DualSense controller’s functionality such as when riding your mount and engaging in battles. It would be great to receive feedback once everyone gets started on the open beta! (That is of course, if you can get your hands on a PS5 console…)”

Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker Content – What other new additions are confirmed?

A number of new additions have been announced for Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker, many of which will improve upon existing mechanics and elements of the MMO. We’ve compiled a list of the most prominent new content below which are planned to launch as part of Endwalker later this year.

• Level cap increase from 80 to 90
• Expansive new areas, including Garlemald, Thavnair, and the city of Radz-at-Han
• A new tribe: the Arkasodara
• New threats, including Anima
• New dungeons
• A new high-difficulty raid: Pandæmonium
• Secrets revealed in a new alliance raid series
• New small-scale PvP mode
• An additional Trust ally: Estinien Wyrmblood
• A new residential district: Ishgard
• Updates to the Gold Saucer