14 DAY TRIAL // Square Enix has revealed some of the upcoming additions to its massively multiplayer online role-playing game Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, which the title will be receiving later this month.
The company's three MMOs, FF XIV: A Realm Reborn, Final Fantasy 11, and Dragon Quest 10, are not doing so hot, having around 1 million monthly subscribers, according to the latest internal statistics from the publisher, dating from back in March, 2014.
However, they're not doing that bad either, bringing in a steady stream of revenue for Square Enix to capitalize on, and a clear sign of the company's faith in the long-term health of its IPs is the fact that FFXIV is about to get its first official expansion this year, titled Heavensward.
The preparations for the first expansions have been underway for quite some time, and the new year will bring players a taste of what's coming later down the road.
The company intends to release the first part of Patch 2.5 – Before the Fall sometime in January, with the second part to follow a little later on, because there simply is that much new content incoming.
The second part will come with Patch 2.51, including the conclusion of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn's main storyline, tying up loose ends before the expansion drops.
A lot to look forward to
Part one of Before the Fall contains a ton of new challenges for players to undertake, including around two thirds of the final main scenario quests, three new dungeons, and the conclusion of the Crystal Tower questline, according to the official blurb.
In addition to this, the patch will also feature the adventures of Hildibrand in a brand new investigation, a battle against Odin, the Dark Divinity, in Urth's Fount, and a ton of new gears for gatherers and crafters to collect, including numerous new recipes.
The second part of Before the Fall will be launched sometime in March this year, concluding the story of Eorzea's rebirth, and introducing the Gold Saucer, an online casino, chocobo breeding and racing, and the return of Triple Triad, the famous Final Fantasy card game.
The upcoming Heavensward expansion is set to add two new classes to the roster of available jobs, in the form of the Astrologian, a fate card-based healing and support class, and the Machinist, a ranged damage dealer with a knack for tinkering with mechanical contraptions.
The expansion will also introduce a new dragonkin race for players to play as, the Au Ra. Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward is expected sometime before the summer of 2015.
