Summary
To start the second day of PAX East 2024, theFinal Fantasy 16development team revealed that the game’s second expansion,The Rising Tide, will launch on Thursday, April 18. The expansion will launch along with a free update forFinal Fantasy 16, including some adjustments and a new battle mode for players to try out.
The PAX East panel started witha first look at theRising Tideexpansion, with a sneak peek at the new realm of Mysidia. Named after the magical kingdoms ofFinal Fantasy 2andFinal Fantasy 4, Mysidia is said to be located in the Northern Territories, but not much information was disclosed beyond that.Final Fantasy 16producer Naoki Yoshida was joined by localization lead Michael-Christopher Koji Fox and DLC director Takeo Kujiraoka for the panel. The developers said that players startThe Rising Tideat the Hideaway by reading a mysterious letter that asks for aid in rescuing the Dominant of Leviathan the Lost, the Eikon of Water. Along the way, Clive and his companions will meet a new character called Shula, who will join Clive in battle.
To close outthe PAX East panel, Yoshida revealed thatThe Rising Tidewill launch on Thursday, April 18, and it will cost $19.99 as a standalone purchase on the PlayStation Store. However,Final Fantasy 16players who purchased the Expansion Pass for $24.99 will receiveThe Rising Tideat no additional cost, as the pass includes access to the game’s first DLC,Echoes of the Fallen. In addition toThe Rising TideDLC,Final Fantasy 16will release Patch 1.30 at the same time as a free update. The update will bring adjustments to the battle system, and players will be able to customize their controller button layouts freely.
When Will Final Fantasy 16: The Rising Tide Be Released?
Patch 1.30 will also bring a new “Kairos” battle mode for players to try out. Inspired byFinal Fantasy 14’s deep dungeons such as Palace of the Dead, Kairos is a battle-focused gauntlet that Clive can progress through and gain abilities based on how much progress is made. Yoshida teased that players who reach the end of Kairos in “Final Fantasy Mode” will face a secret boss, but refused to divulge more information. Thoughthe PC port ofFinal Fantasy 16is in the final optimization stages, Yoshida did not talk about it at all during the panel.
Yoshida encouraged PAX East attendees to show up for theDawntrailpanel on March 23, where he will confirm the release date ofthe upcomingFinal Fantasy 16crossover eventinFinal Fantasy 14. Only time will tell when that event will go live.
Final Fantasy 16
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An epic dark fantasy world where the fate of the land is decided by the mighty Eikons and the Dominants who wield them.This is the tale of Clive Rosfield, a warrior granted the title “First Shield of Rosaria” and sworn to protect his younger brother Joshua, the dominant of the Phoenix. Before long, Clive will be caught up in a great tragedy and swear revenge on the Dark Eikon Ifrit, a mysterious entity that brings calamity in its wake.
