Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. News

‘Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers’ to launch July 2 with Gunbreakers and Viera

By

Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers, the upcoming expansion to the Square Enix MMORPG, is set to launch on July 2 with a new class and race.

The first trailer for Shadowbringers was shown in November at the Final Fantasy XIV Fanfest in Las Vegas. There were hints that the game’s third expansion, after 2015’s Heavensward and 2017’s Stormblood, will feature a new class wielding a gunblade like Final Fantasy VIII‘s Squall. There was also speculation the the Viera, represented in Final Fantasy XII by Fran, will finally be added to the MMORPG.

Recommended Videos

The game’s director and producer, Naoki Yoshida, revealed a lot more about Shadowbringers at the ongoing Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival in Paris.

An extended trailer for Shadowbringers was released, showing some Final Fantasy XIV characters and what awaits the crew in the expansion.

FINAL FANTASY XIV: SHADOWBRINGERS Extended Teaser Trailer

Yoshida also unveiled the Gunbreaker, the name of the new class that will use gunblades. The job will start at level 60 in Gridinia, but according to Yoshida, this may change before the release of the expansion. Gunbreakers will play the role of tanks, and are not ranged characters. There are several more new classes that will be added to Final Fantasy XIV in Shadowbringers.

FINAL FANTASY XIV: SHADOWBRINGERS Gunbreaker Reveal

Confirming the speculation, the Viera will be making their way to Final Fantasy XIV. A trailer for the rabbit-like race revealed what the Viera will look like in the game.

FINAL FANTASY XIV: SHADOWBRINGERS - New Race “The Viera”

Yoshida also announced that the new Alliance raid in Shadowbringers will be a crossover with Nier: Automata. However, the details of the raid were not revealed.

Shadowbringers will introduce nine new dungeons, as well as a new feature named the Trust System. The feature allows players to team up with NPC’s to take on missions that currently require them to be part of a group. The NPC’s that players will team up with are from Final Fantasy XIV‘s story, so they will be familiar.

Shadowbringers will be open to pre-orders on February 6, and players who do so will be able to participate in early access on June 28. Pre-ordered copies of Shadowbringers will also come with a special Baby Gremlin minion, and an earring that will grant players 30% bonus experience until they reach level 70.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Aaron Mamiit
Aaron Mamiit
Contributor
Aaron received a NES and a copy of Super Mario Bros. for Christmas when he was 4 years old, and he has been fascinated with…
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth makes one impactful change to Barret’s story
Barret talking to Dyne in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.

This article contains story spoilers for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.

Ahead of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth's launch, fans were buzzing about how the sequel would tackle Aerith's story. The holy healer was a major focus of Square Enix's marketing, making it clear that one of gaming's most iconic moments would be pivotal to the adventure. But for me, I was more curious about how another tragedy would play out: the tale of Barret and Dyne.

Read more
Don’t skip over our 5 favorite minigames in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
Fort Condor characters

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is not only a fascinating retelling of one of gaming's most beloved titles -- it's also among the most feature-rich games of this generation. From vast open areas to explore that teem with activities to densely populated cities and tense dungeons, there's at least 100 hours worth of content to uncover here if you've got the time and energy to complete it all.

As you work through the game, you'll find that a surprising amount of this playtime sees you engaging with minigames, both to advance the story and just for fun to earn optional rewards. And though there are a few duds scattered along the way -- we're looking at you Gears and Gambits -- most of the minigames you'll encounter offer a unique and enjoyable diversion for Cloud and friends. We've gone through a tough elimination process and decided on our picks for the top five minigames in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.
5. Dolphin Course

Read more
Like the best RPGs, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth gets sidequests right
The mayor of Under Junon in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.

Among its many highlights, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth makes simple sidequests a lot more engaging than I had expected. Take an early-game sidequest called When Words Won’t Do. On a surface level, it’s a simple escort mission where players must get a dog from Under Junon to Crow’s Nest unscathed. I did not initially have high hopes for this sidequest due to the poor reputation of escort missions; thankfully, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth defied that fate. To make this optional content more worthwhile, Square Enix gave it a strong narrative backbone.

When Words Won’t Do is actually a story about parents struggling to let go of their kids. Under Junon’s mayor sends players on this quest to help her son and unborn grandchild, and Barrett wonders if he’ll ever be able to let Marlene go during the mission. That’s thematically fitting for an escort mission where you can’t keep something out of your sight.

Read more