July 16 is the normal raid (Eden), and July 30 is the savage difficulty
So for the most part, the way players gear up inFinal Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringersis not changing. There are some tweaks, mind, but generally you’re going to be racing to the new level cap of 80, then acquiring better gear through tomestones (end-game currency), and the key items from the expected two EX trials (single-boss fights). Now,thanks to the last producer live letter from Square Enix, we have an idea of when we’ll be able to play the most challenging endgame content.
As revealed in the aforementioned letter,July 16is when patch 5.01 hits. “Eden,” the first new raid, will arrive at that point, alongside of a handful of new boss encounters. Through Eden you’ll earn more tomes to buy better gear, as well as raid currency (on a lockout timer) that you may turn in for other pieces of gear.
OnJuly 30(Patch 5.05), the real test begins. The savage raid hits, the race for world first begins, and the endgame gear cycle begins anew. Also on that date a new treasure hunt dungeon (Lyhe Giahl) will arrive, as well as the new (better) tomestone currency of Phantasmagoria. This is on top ofthe quality of life changes coming in 5.0, and Square Enix has also revealed that crafting and gathering classes are getting reworked to provide more information for both archetypes.
If you want a better look at some of the new beautiful dungeons (which you’ll be playinga lotof as you grind for tomes) that will launch withShadowbringers, check out the video below. As a recap, nine new dungeons are coming in the expansion, as well as the Eden raid, and the upcoming 24-person alliance raidYoRHa: DarkApocalypse, which was created in tandem withNieRboss Yoko Taro. New Game Plus, which will allow players to replay the story campaign, is still coming at some point after the launch of the expansion, and Gunbreaker (tank) and Dancer (ranged DPS) will be available right away.
Although I’m not jazzed about a lack of a big shakeup of the formula, the content seems sound, and I haven’t gotten bored ofFinal Fantasy XIV‘s fundamentals yet. Producer Naoki “Yoshi P” Yoshida also seems confident based ona discussion we had a few months back. To be frank, I’m expecting individual facets of the expansion like Gunbreaker alone to take up tons of my time.
Now all we have to do is wait until July 2 (early access is June 28) to see if he and his team deliver.
