The latest chapter in Final Fantasy XIV Online has arrived. Patch 5.4, "Futures Rewritten," introduces a plethora of new content, including new Main Scenario quests, a new raid with a very intriguing boss, new dungeons and modes, and more.
The update starts a new chapter in the story following the climactic finale of the Shadowbringers main scenario questline. The new main scenario seems to revolve around the Scions as they make their return to the Source.
With the fate of the First secured, the Scions make their long-awaited return to the Source. But in the new future they now look towards, will that which is written upon the pages of history be an anthem of hope...or a dirge of despair?
The new update features Eden's Promise, a new raid dungeon the continues the 8-player raid series and the story of Ryne and her mysterious counterpart Gaia. The highlight of this raid is a boss designed by industry legend Tetsuya Nomura, director of the Kingdom Hearts franchise and Final Fantasy veteran.
The update features plenty of other exciting features and additions as well. There's a new dungeon, Matoya's Relict; a new Trial, Castrum Marinum; and a new Unreal Trial, The Naval (Unreal), which challenges level 80 adventurers with a powered-up version of the existing primal, Titan.
There's also the "Explorer Mode," a new gameplay mode dedicated to the creative. This mode allows players to safely take screenshots throughout Shadowbringers dungeons by removing the enemies. Players are able to summon mounts and minions, however.
There's plenty of more to get excited about in the patch, such as adjustments to crafting and gathering, the addition of the violin as a playable instrument, two new fishing routes in the Black Shroud and Dravania, the next chapter of the "Save the Queen" story, which also allows players to further upgrade their Resistance Weapons by two more tiers, the second of which grants players the ability to customize certain features of the weapon to match their playstyle.
This update is just the tip of the iceberg also. A special global livestream event, "FINAL FANTASY XIV Announcement Showcase," will be held on February 6, 2021, and will offer players a look into the future of the online MMORPG.