Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers is the third expansion pack to Final Fantasy XIV, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed and published by Square Enix for macOS, PlayStation 4, and Windows, then later on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2. It was released on July 2, 2019, two years after Stormblood. As before, Naoki Yoshida served as director and producer and Masayoshi Soken composed the soundtrack. It released as a standalone product for current players; for new players, the "Complete Edition", originally launched with Heavensward, was updated to include all available expansions.
Shadowbringers takes place on the First, a parallel dimension on the brink of collapse, where the player character is summoned to rescue and restore the world. Several comrades accidentally trapped there join them, as well as Emet-Selch, an immortal villain who seeks to harness the First's apocalypse to restore his deity, Zodiark. Emet-Selch accompanies and tests the player character, confident despite their meddling. In addition to adding new areas, the expansion pack increased the level cap, debuted two character classes and two playable races, and introduced the ability to explore dungeons with non-playable "Trust" companions.
Shadowbringers received widespread critical and popular acclaim, particularly for its writing and focus on player accessibility. By December 2019, the title had reached a cumulative total of 18 million player accounts. As with its predecessors, major content patches were scheduled for every three months. These updates expanded the main story, added new features, and premiered secondary storylines including a crossover written by Yoko Taro that features characters and elements from Nier: Automata and the "Restoration of Ishgard", a long term campaign to rebuild the embattled nation in the aftermath of the Dragonsong War. The third major content patch had its release delayed by two months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gameplay
Gameplay at large remains unchanged from Final Fantasy XIV: players interact with each other in a responsive persistent world. Maximum level increased to 80, with changes to improve flow and preserve job identity. Tank jobs lost the penalty to damage while focused on holding enemy attention, based on player feedback. Resources, such as magic points, were rebalanced for ease of use. Two new jobs were added, Gunbreaker and Dancer. Gunbreaker, a tank, wields gunblades, taking inspiration from Final Fantasy VIII where these weapons first appeared. Dancer, a ranged damage-dealer, wields chakrams, drawing inspiration from real-world folk dances, with an emphasis on "encouraging allies". The team added a new tank job to balance the number of main and secondary tanks, and a new ranged damage dealer as one had not been added for several years. They refrained from adding a new healer job in order to maintain game balance between the three existing healers.
New to Shadowbringers, players may enter dungeons using computer-controlled "Trust" companions rather than other players. These companions vary based on when the dungeon occurs in the story, and have unique dialogue. This system takes inspiration from the Gambit system in Final Fantasy XII, and the characters are programmed to take actions reflecting their personality. Trust supports players new to or unfamiliar with online games, eliminates the wait for matching to other players when used, and provides experience points for secondary jobs. Further providing experience points, Shadowbringers quests outside the Main Scenario Quest now scale between levels 70 and 80. Role quests for the different combat, crafting, and gathering job teach aspects of these roles while expanding on the story and history of the First.
The main story of A Realm Reborn was also given a major overhaul in the 5.3 patch. Many quests and objectives deemed to be unnecessary have been removed from the main story quest for new players, especially in patch content for A Realm Reborn. Flight became unlocked for players in A Realm Reborn areas after completing its original main story. Further, a New Game Plus mode was added, allowing players to replay certain main and side story quests.
Renovations to the crafting and gathering jobs were applied across the patch cycle to improve accessibility to newcomers, removing redundant abilities and providing more information to players. These updates dovetailed with the "Ishgardian Restoration", a massive, collaborative, player-run public works project to rebuild an Ishgardian residential district destroyed in the Dragonsong War. Unfolding over the course of several patches, it provided rewards to beginners and experienced characters alike. The Diadem, a large open world area that premiered in Heavensward, was reconfigured as the source of raw materials for reconstruction. The reconstruction provided the narrative justification for a new player housing ward, the Empyreum, added in the following expansion, Endwalker. The content remains for player use, offering large sources of crafting and gathering experience.
A variety of other systems also received updates in Shadowbringers. Blue Mage, a "Limited" job introduced in Stormblood, received a major extension. Blue Mages uniquely learn actions from observing monsters, but because this allows unbalanced combinations, the job is Limited and cannot use normal player matchmaking. The update adds rewards and titles for facing difficult content with a party composed solely of Blue Mages. A new alliance-scale player versus player (PvP) mode called Onsal Hakair (Danshig Naadam) premiered with the expansion, where players participate in mock wargames preparing for the yearly Naadam, scoring points by holding locations. The Bozjan Southern Front and Zadnor are large-scale battlefield areas with a separate progression system. Players engage in skirmishes and battles with Garlean forces in Bozja, culminating in a raid on an Imperial fortress or airship to capture it for the Resistance, respectively. As a continuation of the "Return to Ivalice" storyline, it is also written by Matsuno.
Plot Setting and characters
Shadowbringers occurs on the First, a parallel world split long ago from the Source, the original setting. Eons ago, Hydaelyn sundered the world to imprison Zodiark. The Ascians, Zodiark's immortal servants, trigger Calamities on the Source to "Rejoin" its Shards. They manipulated the First's heroes to destroy too much Darkness, creating a lethal excess of Light. This Flood of Light erased everything, and everyone, outside the continent of Norvrandt. Minfilia, the player's ally and Oracle of Light, sacrificed herself to halt the Flood during Heavensward. Survivors in the post-apocalypic world resist monstrous "sin eaters", which feed on the living, warping them into more sin eaters.
Norvrandt is Eorzea's mirror on the First, unaffected by the Source's Calamities. Central Lakeland hosts the Crystal Tower, which mysteriously appeared a century prior. The Crystarium, a hard-working commune under the enigmatic Crystal Exarch grew around it. Decadent Eulmore in Kholusia pampers its wealthy citizens with indolent luxury. Lord Vauthry built this paradise with slave labor, exploiting destitute refugees. Vauthry's inspirations include Jabba the Hutt. Dwarves, the First's Lalafell, live in Kholusia's mountains as an insular Tribe of miners and blacksmiths. The Seven Sisters cliffs provided visual references for Kholusia. The Rak'tika Greatwood houses, the Ronkan Empire's ruins, and the Night's Blessed, a religious community hiding from Light beneath the jungle canopy. Angkor Wat and Mesoamerican civilizations inspired Ronkan architecture. Il Mheg is the land of the fae—pixies, fuath, nu mou, and amaro—in the valley formerly of the Kingdom of Voeburt. Finally, Amh Araeng is the desert where Minfilia halted the Flood, left as massive waves of solid Light. The Empty covers the rest of the world, a vast, lifeless white expanse.
Transitioning to Shadowbringers, the Garlean Empire also resumes its campaign against Eorzea, as Warrior's closest allies sequentially fall into comas while hearing a mysterious voice, leaving the Warrior isolated. Emperor Varis zos Galvus begins mass-producing Black Rose, a chemical weapon lethal even in tiny doses, to retaliate against Ala Mhigo's successful revolution. Garlean crown prince Zenos yae Galvus also resurfaces, seeking a rematch with the Warrior. Emet-Selch, an Ascian leader who had founded the Empire as Solus zos Galvus, accelerates his plans to destroy the First and restore Zodiark. In his unsundered eyes, modern mankind are disturbing husks, not truly alive, thus claiming no remorse for killing them.
Story Shadowbringers opens as the Warrior and Tataru approach the Crystal Tower, hoping to restore the Scions, but the Warrior is summoned to the First by the mysterious voice: the Crystal Exarch. The Exarch, calling for the Warrior, summoned the Scions by accident, who have lived years on the First, time passing differently between Shards. The Exarch explains the impending doom: rampant Light will trigger a Calamity, destroying the First and ending Source civilization. The Warrior meets Feo Ul, an adventuresome pixie, and Ardbert, a Warrior of Darkness returned to the First. The others sacrificed themselves to halt the "Flood of Light." Ardbert was denied the chance, witnessing Norvrandt's slow decline as a shade.
The Warrior seeks out Alphinaud and Alisaie. Alphinaud investigates decadent Eulmore, while Alisaie aids a hospice for sin eater victims in Amh Araeng. With the twins, plus the Exarch and his adopted daughter Lyna, the Warrior saves the villagers of Holminster Switch, defeating a powerful sin eater, a "Lightwarden". Slaying a Lightwarden infects the slayer with its Light, creating another Lightwarden, but Hydaelyn's Blessing forestalls this. Lakeland's sky goes dark for the first time in a century. Rumors fly of the legendary "Warrior of Darkness". Lord Vauthry sends general Ran'jit to investigate, but the Exarch deflects. The Warrior joins Thancred and his ward, a girl named "Minfilia," rescued from Ran'jit. She is the latest incarnation of the Source's Minfilia, revered on the First as the Oracle of Light.
The Scions seek refuge with Urianger in Il Mheg, Feo Ul's homeland. Il Mheg's Lightwarden is the fae King, Titania, locked in their castle. The newly-minted Warrior of Darkness gathers the regalia to enter and slays Titania; Feo Ul becomes King, leading Il Mheg's defense as night returns. In the Crystarium, former Garlean Emperor Solus zos Galvus appears, introducing himself as, "Emet-Selch, Ascian." He offers truce, aid, and knowledge of his true motives. The Scions tentatively listen, travelling to the Rak'tika Greatwood seeking Y'shtola. After a tense reunion, the Scions explore the Ronkan Empire's ruins. Its protectors, the amazonian Viis, help the Scions slay Rak'tika's Lightwarden. Emet-Selch reveals Hydaelyn and Zodiark's origin: not gods, but primals, created by his people. Zodiark stopped a disaster, and Hydaelyn imprisoned Him, fearing His power. The Warrior overhears Y'shtola admonishing Urianger for his secrecy; she can see the Lightwardens' aether straining the Warrior's soul.