Square Enix has detailed the changes coming in Patch 5.3 for Final Fantasy XIV as the game hits a huge player base milestone. Officially titled Reflections in Crystal, the latest Patch for the game looks to add a plethora of new content while also streamlining portions of A Realm Reborn. In addition to the new content, 5.3 will also unlock the Heavansward campaign as part of the now extensive Free Trial mode. This latest Patch comes as the registered playerbase for the MMORPG surpasses 20 million users.
Reflections in Crystal looks to be one of the most extensive Patches for XIV to date but has had a troubled road to launch. The Patch has been delayed multiple times due to COVID-19 complications which caused disruptions across development teams and QA testing. Fortunately, director Naoki Yoshida and his team have forged ahead and 5.3 will launch on the 11th of August.
We recently had the chance to sit down with Yoshida and discuss how 5.3 will streamline the game’s first campaign A Realm Reborn for new and existing players. It’s an extensive deep dive into the changes that are coming to the game next month and you can check out the full interview right here. Yoshida notes that player data was taken into consideration when choosing which quests to trim down and adjust, hopefully in service of an experience that newer players will find less tedious.
Reflections in Crystal will also bring the critically acclaimed Shadowbringers story to a close with a host of new quests. Outside of the main narrative content, 5.3 will also bring new raids, a variety of trials for different skill levels, weapon upgrades, sidequests and some changes to the New Game + mode. 5.3 also sees XIV‘s cross-brand synergy continue with new NieR inspired content and some cute YO-KAI-WATCH quests beginning August 19th.
For a full list of the new content, you can head over to the Patch’s official site.
As noted in our interview with Yoshida, 5.3 will also raise the Free Trial level cap from 35 to 60, allowing new players to play through the game’s second expansion Heavansward before subscribing. The additional jobs, as well as the Au Ra race, from that expansion, have also been added to character creation from the jump now, giving newcomers even more options and chances to get hooked on this fantastic experience.
Keep an eye on PowerUp! as we explore Reflections in Crystal next month and bring you impressions on A Real Reborn‘s new streamlined content.
