Final Fantasy XIV Patch 5.1 dated, detailed, and trailer-ed

The latest Final Fantasy XIV Letter from the Producer has given us a date for the long-awaited patch 5.1. It’s October 29, everybody.

This patch is a big ‘un, bringing with it new story content, a new dungeon, new Beast Tribe quests, new lots of other things, and New Game+ mode. Today also marks the release of a brand new trailer for it, but be warned: it’s full of Shadowbringers spoilers. But don’t worry! I’ll excise spoilers from the text of this news piece. Let’s have a look in detail, shall we? Just beware of that spoilery trailer below if you’re not up to date on Shadowbringers.

Vows of Virtue, Deeds of Cruelty

Patch 5.1 is titled Vows of Virtue, Deeds of Cruelty, which is probably hinting at the path of the storyline. And yes, 5.1 expands the storyline, adding more Main Scenario Quests and continuing the Shadowbringers plotline.

The other big, long-awaited thing in Final Fantasy XIV 5.1 is the first NieR Automata raid. We’ve known since before the release of Shadowbringers that Yosuke Saito and Yoko Taro (of NieR Automata fame) were collaborating with the FF14 team on a 24-player Alliance Raid, and we’ll finally get to play it here. Titled “The Copied Factory”, players will head into battle against machine lifeforms and explore a raid dungeon inspired by NieR. Expect remixes of NieR Automata music and a whole lot of familiar faces.

Excitingly, we’ll also get our hands on an Extreme difficulty version of the Shadowbringers final boss battle, the name of which I’ve omitted because of obvious spoilers.

This is the gear you can expect from The Grand Cosmos. Interesting, though it’s all about the Glamors, really…

If you’re not into super-hard content requiring lots and lots of organized players, fear not! Patch 5.1 contains things for you too. The new dungeon, The Grand Cosmos – an ancient Elven palace occupied by a mage – can be done in a group or via the Trust system, so you can have NPCs accompany you instead. If you’re into true soloing, then Lyhe Mheg is a new area with Beast Tribe quests for the pixies. Because helping the pixies definitely won’t be a bad idea. Still, if it means more Feo Ul, I’m all for it.

As for stuff that’ll impact people who aren’t max level in Final Fantasy XIV, there are “comprehensive adjustments” to Ninja, Samurai, and Summoner jobs, plus minor adjustments to others. Alas, we’ve got no real information on the specifics at this time. We’ll also get a new Gold Saucer GATE – “The Slice is Right”, featuring Yojimbo – plus an overhaul to crafting and gathering. There’s also the new Fellowship system, which appears to be a sort of in-game forum system.

More to come

The Grand Cosmos looks awfully pretty for a lethal max-level dungeon.

But wait, there’s more! There are also details on stuff coming in Patch 5.11 and Patch 5.15, from the looks of things. 5.11 will bring the Restoration of the Holy See of Ishgard, letting crafters and gatherers work as a whole to rebuild the Firmament. It’ll also include The Epic of Alexander, another Ultimate difficulty raid.

As for Patch 5.15, it looks as though we’ll get a new PvP Frontline map based on the Nadaam stuff from Stormblood. Onsal Hakair will have the Grand Companies and the Azim Steppe tribes teaming up to battle it out. From what I’m seeing in the Live Letter, it looks like there are some big changes coming to PvP: the removal of 24-player battles, adjustments to actions and traits, and more. Again, though, details are a little sparse. We’ll likely hear more in the future.

Final Fantasy XIV Patch 5.1 is due to hit on October 29. If you need something to keep you busy until then, the Halloween event All Saints’ Wake is on right now. You can also have a look at the official site for Patch 5.1, but beware: spoilers lie in wait.