The next Final Fantasy 14 update will condense the first part of its story and even let you fly across its world.
Square Enix had previously revealed plans to trim down the campaign of A Realm Reborn in a Q&A with fans back in August 2019. The changes to the story will arrive in update 5.3, as originally planned, though the developers confirmed that work changes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic mean the patch will be delayed by up to a month past its original mid-June target.
A developer stream today went into detail on how the update will revamp A Realm Reborn. On top of trimming down certain parts of the story that could be uncharitably (yet accurately) described as filler, Square Enix will also add more XP and gear to quests so players have a smoother progression all the way up to Heavensward. You'll also be required to complete the initial quests for unlocking your first mount and alliance raiding, so you're sure not to miss them.
FF14's main campaign has some great moments, but the story really picks up in the expansions that follow. These changes will hopefully improve the base game experience while letting players get to even better stuff faster.
The 5.3 update will also allow for flying mounts through the world of A Realm Reborn. You'll unlock the ability to fly once you finish the main questline (specifically, "The Ultimate Weapon" quest) at which point chocobo companions will automatically be granted the ability to fly. Mounts still won't be able to enter bodies of water, and some terrain changes mean players will no longer be able to climb certain parts of the environment.
See what else you can look forward to playing in the months ahead with our guide to the best games of 2020.
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