FFXIV Endwalker Benchmark Program Will Release This Weekend
Square Enix has just unveiled the new Final Fantasy 14 expansion called Endwalker that is set to release in the Fall of 2021. While usually this kind of news would be announced at a Fan Festival Show with plenty of players in attendance, naturally due to the pandemic, the announcement came as a live show announcement instead.
During the latest Live Letter from the Producer for Final Fantasy XIV, the team revealed new artifact armor sets coming to the Endwalker expansion for all current jobs in the game. As for other new information on the critically acclaimed MMORPG, the Endwalker benchmark sequence was revealed which contains gameplay from the expansions new zones and battles--it may also be some indication of what's happening next in FFXIV's story. To catch up on what's to come, check out everything we know about FFXIV Endwalker, which launches on PS4, PS5, and PC on November 19 for those who preorder and November 23 for everyone else.
End of an Era
The original reveal event kicked off with a great teaser trailer for Endwalker, revealing that the storyline for this new expansion will cover the second coming of the final days. The trailer showed the Warrior of Light in a Paladin role, alongside fellow Scions Alphinaud and Alisae, with Alphinaud showcasing a new Sage job role. While Alisae was still in her Red Mage role in the trailer, Yoshida said that despite not getting a new job in Endwalker, she will be given a new outfit and that fans might be surprised as to how she gets it and who gives it to her.
The trailer showed that one of the new areas will be on the moon, leading many to believe that this new expansion will be heavily influenced by Final Fantasy 4. The Warrior of Light taking on a Paladin role supports this theory, as it parallels Final Fantasy 4's Cecil transitioning from Dark Knight to Paladin as part of his character growth and storyline. The digital items available for the Digital Fan Fest are also Final Fantasy 4 themed items, including a Lunar Whale mount and minions of the Final Fantasy 4 characters Edge, Rosa, and Rydia.
The Endwalker expansion will be the end of the Hydaelyn and Zodiark story arc that has been running since the release of A Realm Reborn and that has been covered in every expansion since. However, producer and director Naoki Yoshida has promised that this is not the end of Final Fantasy 14 and that there will be a brand new story arc after Endwalker. You need to save enough FF14 Gil to face the update.
If you want a bigger tease for what's to come in Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker, the upcoming expansion to the critically acclaimed MMORPG, you got one through the newly revealed PC benchmark sequence. During the latest Live Letter from the Producer, Square Enix showed off the benchmark which contains snippets from new zones and battles from Endwalker and has some story implications for the expansion. The benchmark will be made available to PC users on July 11.
