Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker is the fourth expansion pack to Final Fantasy XIV, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed and published by Square Enix for macOS, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Windows, then later on Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2. It was released on December 7, 2021, over two years after Shadowbringers, the previous expansion, with its production delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Like its predecessors, Naoki Yoshida served as director and producer and Masayoshi Soken composed the soundtrack. The expansion pack was released as a standalone product for current players; for new players, the "Complete Edition" that originally launched with Heavensward was updated to include all expansions including Endwalker.
Endwalker is the finale of the Hydaelyn-Zodiark arc, a story that began with the release of A Realm Reborn. Players travel the world, space, and time to stop the team of Garlean crown prince Zenos and rogue Ascian Fandaniel from successfully resuming the Final Days, an apocalyptic event that threatens all of existence. In addition to new areas, the expansion increases the level cap to 90 and debuts the Sage and Reaper jobs, among other changes.
As with its predecessor, Shadowbringers, Endwalker received acclaim, particularly for its satisfying conclusion to the storyline begun in A Realm Reborn.
Gameplay
The gameplay and quest structure of Endwalker largely matches that of the base game. As with many MMORPGs, players interact with each other in a persistent world that responds to their actions. Due to ongoing issues with numerical values, such as enemy health pools, growing large enough to threaten overflow errors, the launch of Endwalker included a numeric down-scaling, sometimes colloquially referred to by MMO players as a "stat squish". As part of this down-scaling, belts were removed and rendered useless as equipment. Two new jobs were introduced with Endwalker: Sage, a healer that uses magical objects called nouliths, inspired by Funnels from the Gundam franchise, to direct aetheric energy to create barriers and amplify offense abilities; and Reaper, a scythe-wielding, armored, melee fighter that calls on the aid of an avatar from the void for greater power. Many other jobs were given changes as well, including a complete rework of the Summoner job, a major update to the Monk job, and various new abilities for other jobs.
A player versus player (PvP) overhaul also debuted in Endwalker, with PvP abilities for all jobs being completely reworked to be more streamlined. A new "small-scale" PvP gamemode called Crystalline Conflict launched in the 6.1 update, and the "Feast" PvP gamemode was discontinued.
Estinien, a character who formally joined the player's allies in the lead-up to Endwalker, was added as an option for the Trust system that debuted in Shadowbringers, which allows players to run four-player dungeons with three NPCs. Later updates added the ability to use the trust system in A Realm Reborn, Heavensward, and Stormblood dungeons as well, to allow all of the Main Story Quest to be almost fully a single player experience. Further new content after launch includes Myths of the Realm, a 24-player raid series that explores myths and legends surrounding the twelve deities worshiped by the people of Eorzea, and Pandæmonium, an eight-player raid series focusing on a mysterious location connected to a past villain, Lahabrea. Similar to the changes in Shadowbringers, some Main Story quests have been changed, including removing the trial "Cape Westwind" and replacing it with a single-player instance, while shortening and streamlining the dungeons of "Castrum Meridianum" and "The Praetorium"; the latter has had its last sections—a chain of boss fights against the Ultima Weapon and Lahabrea—split into a different Trial and single player instance respectively.
Patch 6.2 of Endwalker debuted a new system, Island Sanctuary, a farming simulation mode where players can tend a garden on a deserted island, raise livestock, and interact with pets. Island Sanctuary's philosophy is "slow life" and is intended as a relaxing solo pursuit for players without the pressure of competition. Further changes were made to Main Story quests, including removing the trial "The Steps of Faith" and replacing it with a single-player instance, and changing the boss mechanics of several early dungeons. In patch 6.1, the existing player housing system added a new housing area in the city-state of Ishgard, called the Empyreum. A new lottery-based method of acquiring a house was implemented, alongside assigning a larger number of wards for player guilds, called Free Companies, to ameliorate player concerns about the availability issues with the current system. In patch 6.18, the World Visit system was expanded to allow players to travel to other data centers in their region. Data centers were also added for the Oceania region, allowing better connections for players in those locations who previously used data centers in Japan.
Plot Story
The player and the Scions board a ship en route to Old Sharlayan, the capital of the nation Sharlayan. The player speaks with a woman, who reveals herself as Hydaelyn and tries to assure them of her sincerity despite having concealed her nature as a primal. During their investigation into Sharlayan's history, Hydaelyn possesses Krile, gifting the player an "Elpis" flower that glows near strong emotion. The Scions learn from the gleaner Erenville that the Forum, Sharlayan's government, has made special effort to study the aetherial sea and accelerated their efforts to gather specimens and knowledge. The Forum arrests the Scions, threatening to banish them unless they end their investigation.
The player travels to Thavnair to seek its alchemists, who are developing an anti-tempering ward. They learn that the dragon Vrtra has ruled Thavnair for millennia, hiding behind a figurehead satrap. While testing a ward made from Vrtra's scales, the alchemist Nidhana is captured by Fandaniel, revealed to be the Allagan technologist Amon who placed a clone of himself inside the Crystal Tower after being recruited by Emet-Selch. Protected by the warding scales, the Scions rescue Nidhana and destroy the Tower.
Alongside a detachment of the Grand Companies, the Scions march the ruins of Garlemald to put an end to Fandaniel's plans. Belligerent Garlean holdouts initially rebuff their aid, but eventually accept. The Scions assault the Tower of Babil and defeat Anima, a primal created from the corpse of Emperor Varis that had tempered Garlemald. Despite its destruction, Anima gathers enough aether to weaken Zodiark's prison on the moon, and Fandaniel and Zenos travel there to finish the job. Fandaniel betrays Zenos, merging with Zodiark to fight the player. Although he is defeated, Fandaniel kills himself and Zodiark, restarting the Final Days.
The player meets a servant made by Hydaelyn called the Watcher, who explains the moon is an evacuation vessel to escape the Final Days. Hydaelyn created the rabbit-like Loporrits to prepare the moon for evacuating "Etheirys", the planet's Ancient name. Woefully ignorant of life on modern Etheirys, the Loporrits plans for evacuation are derailed, saying that the other shards' residents will die when the Source is destroyed. The player and their companions eventually persuade the Loporrits to consider other options.
In Thavnair, monsters resembling the first Final Days' horrors assault the citizens. The player learns these "Blasphemies" manifest from someone consumed by despair, erasing their souls. The satrap dies protecting Thavnair, forcing Vrtra to reveal himself. Meanwhile, the Forum officially announces the evacuation of the star.
The player goes to the First to consult the lingering essence of Elidibus regarding the Final Days. He names "Elpis" a place where new life concepts were safety tested by the Ancients. Recalling that he had seen the player in Elpis before the sundering, Elidibus consumes the last of his soul-energy to send the player back in time to seek Hermes, Fandaniel's identity before he took the seat. In Elpis, Emet-Selch, Hythlodaeus, and Venat, the previous Azem, agree to help the player stop the coming of the Final Days.
They seek out Hermes, who introduces them to his creation Meteion, a child-like being linked to a collection of clones called Meteia sent to distant planets to discover the meaning of life. Their thoughts are connected via dynamis, an energy linked to emotions. Finding every world dead or dying upon arrival, the clones conclude that life is meaningless and should end. Meteion departs to join her sisters at the universe's edge, where they will trigger the Final Days. Hermes covers Meteion's escape, bitter at his colleagues' casual anthropocentrism and wanting to test mankind's worthiness. He erases Emet-Selch, Hythlodaeus, and his own memories, but the player and Venat escape. Venat sends the player home, urging them to stop the Final Days, and sunders the world as Hydaelyn.
Returning to Sharlayan, Alphinaud secures the Forum's cooperation, and Fourchenault reconciles with his children. He leads the Scions to the Aitiascope, where they can physically enter the aetherial sea. After facing a shade of Amon and defeating him, the group reaches Hydaelyn. She greets them, revealing Her ages-long plan to stop the Final Days, but the Scions must prove they can defeat Her. The Scions emerge victorious, and Hydaelyn gifts the player some of her power and a crystal pointing to the Meteia's nest. Her purpose finally fulfilled, Hydaelyn fades from existence.
The Scions board the Forum's evacuation vessel, dubbed the Ragnarok. With the help of un-tempered Tribes and the Mothercrystal, a vast repository of aether gifted by Hydaelyn, the Scions reach the edge of the universe: Ultima Thule. There they find spectres of dead worlds visited by Meteion. One by one, the Scions sacrifice themselves so the others can proceed, until only the player remains. Confronting Meteion, the player uses Azem's crystal to temporarily revive Emet-Selch and Hythlodaeus, who create a field of Elpis flowers to radiate hope. The flowers resurrect the Scions, and restore Meteion to her former self, begging the group to stop her sisters.
The Meteia merge into the Endsinger, overpowering the group. The player teleports their comrades to safety and defeats her with Zenos' unexpected aid as Shinryu. Meteion views the player's memories and realizes that Hermes' question has no single answer, departing peacefully. Zenos confronts the player, claiming their conflict is what gives his life meaning, and insinuating that the player feels the same. Zenos dies after a final fight with the player, who is teleported away and narrowly revived while returning home. Having averted the Final Days and brought peace to the star, the Scions formally disband, but secretly remain connected should the need arise.
Patches Inspired by Emet-Selch, the player helps Estinien hunt for a legendary undersea vault near Thavnair, joined by Y'shtola, G'raha, and Urianger. They find it, discovering it is Vrtra's emergency fund. Estinien prompts him to use it for reconstruction and an orphanage. It also houses a fissure to the Void, the thirteenth shard. Vrtra once sought to expand it, to seek his beloved sister, Azdaja. She had flown through an Allagan voidgate to end the voidsent invasion of Meracydia. Vrtra long ago gave up searching, but the Scions rekindle his hopes. Meanwhile, an armored figure plots to invade the Source.