[07/03] Expansion for Final Fantasy XIV (Heavensward) has a release date: 23 June
At today's PAX East stream event dedicated to the upcoming expansion to Final Fantasy XIV, Heavensward, director Yoshi-P finally elected to reveal to everyone attending when players can visit Ishgard and the lands beyond. Initially vaguely teased to come out in the spring of this year, Yoshi-P stated that they had little choice but to push back the game to ensure for maximum polish. As a result, the expansion will hit stores on the 23rd June. Early access players can expect to dive into the content slightly earlier, on the 19th.
Pre-orders for Heavensward will be made available on the the 16th March, offering three editions of the game. Firstly, there is the standard edition, with price still unmentioned, though MMO aficionados will claim it will likely be in the region of $40. No word on a free month, either. The collectors' edition will come in a meaty package, offering a range of in-game and physical items, such as a dragon figurine. In-game items that come with the collectors' edition will include a dragon mount, a gryphon mount and Wind-up Cecil and Kain minions (characters from FFIV). Finally, there is the all-for-one purchase. People who have yet to touch FFXIV beyond the free trial can pick up both A Realm Reborn and Heavensward. Price for this latter package was also unmentioned.
In addition, Mac players can expect to jump into FFXIV round about the same time as Heavensward's release. This was made possible with help from a Canadian company.
New miscellaneous details from the stream include:
- The Alexander raid will come in two difficulty levels: story and hard. The latter is for the hardcore raiders who are familiar with Final Coil of Bahamut and its savage edition. The former will be for endgame players who simply want to experience the raid story without having to meet insanely high hurdles to jump through. In a previous event, Yoshi-P stated that the difficulty of story mode would be tantamount to tackling Binding Coil with Echo buffs.
- Given the complaints from Coil raiders regarding the unfair RNG drops for certain loot, the developers have refreshed the loot system in some manner. Details were not given.
- The Au Ra offer more potential for customisation. In the stream, it was stated that players can create either a cute, benign female Au Ra, or something akin to a succubus.
- They detailed the painstaking ways in which jobs are conceived and created. It is a multilayered process that usually takes an entire YEAR just to create a single job. Having to create 3 at once for the expansion has left developers wishing that they never have to do such a thing again!
- When deciding what the new tank role ought to be, it was narrowed down to a choice between Dark Knight and Samurai. Ultimately, Dark Knight prevailed. The team insists that they have not ruled out Samurai for a possible future inclusion, but for the time being, there are no plans to, and we should look forward to DRK.
- Before the Star Globe was conceived for Astrologians, early concept art has the new healer role wearing what looks like a Duel Disk from the Yu-Gi-Oh anime and manga series.
- The level cap for EVERY existing job will be increased from 50 to 60 (including the Disciple of the Hand and Land classes).
- Disciples of the Hand will gain a certain "specialist tier" system, details of which they are reluctant to indulge us on.
- The main story thread is to do with the ongoing millennium-long war between Ishgard and the dragon horde from the northern Dravanian territories. There will be seven evil Wyrmkings involved, and while questing across FFXIV's take on Skyrim, players can take to the skies and confront new Primals such as the giant sky whale Bismarck and the multi-limbed insectoid Ravana.
At today's PAX East stream event dedicated to the upcoming expansion to Final Fantasy XIV, Heavensward, director Yoshi-P finally elected to reveal to everyone attending when players can visit Ishgard and the lands beyond. Initially vaguely teased to come out in the spring of this year, Yoshi-P stated that they had little choice but to push back the game to ensure for maximum polish. As a result, the expansion will hit stores on the 23rd June. Early access players can expect to dive into the content slightly earlier, on the 19th.
Pre-orders for Heavensward will be made available on the the 16th March, offering three editions of the game. Firstly, there is the standard edition, with price still unmentioned, though MMO aficionados will claim it will likely be in the region of $40. No word on a free month, either. The collectors' edition will come in a meaty package, offering a range of in-game and physical items, such as a dragon figurine. In-game items that come with the collectors' edition will include a dragon mount, a gryphon mount and Wind-up Cecil and Kain minions (characters from FFIV). Finally, there is the all-for-one purchase. People who have yet to touch FFXIV beyond the free trial can pick up both A Realm Reborn and Heavensward. Price for this latter package was also unmentioned.
In addition, Mac players can expect to jump into FFXIV round about the same time as Heavensward's release. This was made possible with help from a Canadian company.
New miscellaneous details from the stream include:
- The Alexander raid will come in two difficulty levels: story and hard. The latter is for the hardcore raiders who are familiar with Final Coil of Bahamut and its savage edition. The former will be for endgame players who simply want to experience the raid story without having to meet insanely high hurdles to jump through. In a previous event, Yoshi-P stated that the difficulty of story mode would be tantamount to tackling Binding Coil with Echo buffs.
- Given the complaints from Coil raiders regarding the unfair RNG drops for certain loot, the developers have refreshed the loot system in some manner. Details were not given.
- The Au Ra offer more potential for customisation. In the stream, it was stated that players can create either a cute, benign female Au Ra, or something akin to a succubus.
- They detailed the painstaking ways in which jobs are conceived and created. It is a multilayered process that usually takes an entire YEAR just to create a single job. Having to create 3 at once for the expansion has left developers wishing that they never have to do such a thing again!
- When deciding what the new tank role ought to be, it was narrowed down to a choice between Dark Knight and Samurai. Ultimately, Dark Knight prevailed. The team insists that they have not ruled out Samurai for a possible future inclusion, but for the time being, there are no plans to, and we should look forward to DRK.
- Before the Star Globe was conceived for Astrologians, early concept art has the new healer role wearing what looks like a Duel Disk from the Yu-Gi-Oh anime and manga series.
- The level cap for EVERY existing job will be increased from 50 to 60 (including the Disciple of the Hand and Land classes).
- Disciples of the Hand will gain a certain "specialist tier" system, details of which they are reluctant to indulge us on.
- The main story thread is to do with the ongoing millennium-long war between Ishgard and the dragon horde from the northern Dravanian territories. There will be seven evil Wyrmkings involved, and while questing across FFXIV's take on Skyrim, players can take to the skies and confront new Primals such as the giant sky whale Bismarck and the multi-limbed insectoid Ravana.
the griffon.
I'm a bit baffled to be honest.