Final Fantasy XIV officially released its latest expansion with Shadowbringers. This newest expansion takes players way beyond the world of Hydaelyn and allows travel to the First and the realm of Norvrandt. In order to save the world from the apocalypse that is the Flood of Light, the Warrior of Light needs to restore the night by becoming the Warrior of Darkness.
Shadowbringers brings with it a number of new features, which includes:
- New Jobs
- Gunbreaker
- The Gunbreaker is a new tank role who wields the iconic gunblade, utilizing ammo cartridges to protect their party from harm.
- Dancer
- The Dancer, a ranged attacker, not only unleashes powerful attacks using throwing weapons, but also dances to execute abilities which provide beneficial effects to their party.
- Gunbreaker
- New Player Races
- Viera and Hrothgar: The rabbit-like Viera are joined by the burly and lion-like Hrothgar, both with unique, customizable features specific to their races.
- New Game+
- This brand-new system allows for replay of previously completed quests while retaining one's current progression and job level.
- Level Cap Increase
- The level cap is raised to 80 with the release of Shadowbringers. With this comes new actions for classes and jobs—as well as new foes against which players can hone their skills.
- Trust System
- In Shadowbringers, players have the opportunity to challenge dungeons with a party of trusted non-player characters, including members of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. Traditional party matching systems will remain available.
- New Beast Tribes and Primals
- Players encounter the carefree but cruel pixies in Il Mheg alongside their mighty regent Titania, along with other beast tribes including the Nu Mou and the Dwarves.
- New Content and System Upgrades
- Battle system changes, new equipment, crafting recipes and more.
Aside from the new content, players can also look forward to a variety of additional content that has been announced for release in upcoming patches:
- New Alliance Raid: “YoRHa: Dark Apocalypse” - This exciting new 24-man raid written by guest creators Yosuke Saito and YOKO TARO will see FINAL FANTASY and NieR come together as never before.
- New High-End Raid: “Eden” – This new high-end raid will feature a new character designed by Kingdom Hearts director and Final Fantasy series veteran, Tetsuya Nomura. The content is schedule to become available on July 16 with the release of Patch 5.01.
- Restoration of the Holy See of Ishgard – End-game content for crafters and gatherers.
Final Fantasy XIV is offering a free trail where new players can access content up to level 35 and even create up to eight playable chracters. Those who want to experience the free trial can register here.
Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers is available as a digital download collector’s edition for PlayStation 4, Windows, Steam, and Mac for $59.99. A physical version of the Standard Edition is available for PlayStation 4 for $39.99, and standard digital download versions will be available for PlayStation 4, Windows, Steam, and Mac for $39.99. All versions of Shadowbringers can be purchased at the Square Enix Store.
