This morning, Square Enix released a huge list of the changes coming to Final Fantasy XIV with the MMORPG’s impending expansion, Endwalker (no relation). The breakdown is a dizzying doozy of details, but the one thing you should take away from it is that the new Viera bunny boys will thankfully be able to wear maid outfits.
Endwalker launches in early access on December 3 for players who pre-ordered the expansion, and regular ol’ Joe Schmoe access on December 7 for everyone else. It’s Final Fantasy XIV’s biggest update yet, acting as the culmination of a story arc that began in 2013 with the A Realm Reborn overhaul. But as today’s patch notes indicate, it’s also going to introduce a lot of cool, smaller things in-between the epic narrative moments and new classes.
Starting later this week, all Final Fantasy XIV players will be able to equip clothing from the Spring, Thavnairian, Housemaid, Loyal Housemaid, Butler, and Loyal Butler sets, regardless of gender. This was done, at least in my one-track mind, to ensure the impending avalanche of male Viera—a rabbit-like race that was female-only before Endwalker—can be as sexy as possible. Bunny boys are one thing, but bunny boys in cute, frilly dresses and tights? Give this game all the awards.
Another clothing-related change is the removal of belts as part of a character’s wardrobe. After Endwalker’s release, belts will no longer be purchasable, equippable, or tradeable, but they’ll still exist in the game as a funny reminder of what used to be. A new description applied to all waist-slot armor will now explain that belts have become “obsolete” in the world of Final Fantasy XIV, thanks to “advancements in tailoring.”
I’m also super excited about all the new monsters Endwalker will no doubt demand we cut down over the course of the story and its side quests, especially these two lunar Cactuar variants. The first, dubbed “Slender Cactuar” by some in the Final Fantasy XIV community, appears to have been affected by the moon’s altered gravity, while the second is a fabulously styled elite mark that players will be able to hunt during the space-based adventure.
This is all the Endwalker stuff that I find most interesting, but it doesn’t even begin to cover the neat, quality-of-life improvements the expansion is bringing to Final Fantasy XIV.
Aether currents in areas introduced by previous updates will be reduced and reorganized, making it easier to unlock the ability for your mounts to fly. The window in which players can combo skills has been increased. The healer limit break has had its range almost doubled. Traveling via Aethernet now brings up a map for easier destination selection. The party list will now indicate who or what is being targeted by spells. DualSense controllers will now take advantage of their haptic feedback and adaptive triggers.
Endwalker is shaping up to be something really special, and we’re only a few days out from finally getting our hands on it. Stay strong, adventurers, as we endure the longest Final Fantasy XIV queues we’ve probably ever seen. At least you’ll have time to read over the full, massive list of changes.