The Warrior of Light — who seems to have once again opted to change his main job — goes toe to toe with a mysterious woman in red during an intense training session. As Yoshida revealed during the presentation, this area is actually one of the new hubs that players will visit as they venture to Ala Mhigo, the backdrop for Stormblood.

As the liberation of Ala Mhigo will be taking center stage in the new storyline, it was revealed that XIIth Legion Legatus Zenos yae Galvus, ruler of the occupied Ala Mhigo, will be one of the main adversaries to be faced during your adventure. He looks pretty intense…

The new expansion will include new jobs; an increased level cap up to level 70; sprawling new areas to explore; a revamped battle system; and all-new dungeons, challenging high-level raids, new jobs, increase to player inventory size, sprawling new areas to explore, and alliance battle content.

Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood will launch in North America, Europe, and Japan on June 20, 2017. Players can pre-order the highly-anticipated follow-up to Heavensward starting January 24 to receive exclusive bonuses.

During the keynote address, producer/director Naoki Yoshida announced a plethora of new details for Stormblood, including the following:

• New Job – Red Mage (DPS Role): The highly anticipated red mage job will make its debut in Stormblood as a ranged magic DPS, wielding a rapier and magicked crystal medium. A very mobile attacker, the red mage dives in and out of melee combat, assaulting enemies with red magic and short-ranged attacks. The red mage also has the ability to link multiple spells with chainspell, dealing massive damage and following them up with melee attacks.
• Swimming and Diving: This new gameplay mechanic will allow players to seamlessly enter and traverse specific rivers, lakes, and seas in both new and existing areas throughout Eorzea®. Players will also be able to dive underwater in select locations, even while riding flying mounts. Underwater areas will not only include new gathering locations, but also will provide an opportunity for NPC interaction.
• New Beast Tribe and Primal: The Ananta, an all-female beast tribe, is the newest of the beast tribes to be introduced to the world of FFXIV. This ancient tribe resides in the mountains near Ala Mhigo and worships the primal Lakshmi. Known for their skill in spell and gemcraft, the Lamia will play a very important role in the Stormblood main scenario as their persecution by the Garlean Empire is revealed.
• New High-Level Raid: The Bend of Time – Omega was announced as the high-level raid series for Stormblood. Omega has surfaced within the main scenario in the past, but this menace will soon appear in full force. The mystery behind the appearance of Omega and the significance of “The Bend of Time” will be unveiled through the story surrounding this raid.
• New Alliance Raid: Two special guest creators were invited to assist with the design of the newly-announced alliance raid “Return to Ivalice”: Yasumi Matsuno (FINAL FANTASY XII / FINAL FANTASY TACTICS) will write the scenario surrounding the raid, while Keita Amemiya (Onimusha 2 / Shin Megami Tensei IV) will spearhead monster and boss design.
• Stormblood Theme Song: Legendary composer Nobuo Uematsu will return to create the main theme song for Stormblood.

Square Enix revealed information on the Stormblood collector’s edition. This version features a special box with art decoration by Yoshitaka Amano, as well as:

• FINAL FANTASY XIV: Stormblood
• Stormblood Special Art Box
• Expertly Crafted Zenos yae Galvus Figure
• FINAL FANTASY XIV: Stormblood Art Book
• Cloth Map of Eorzea
• Stormblood Logo Sticker
• Exclusive In-game Items
  • Syldra Mount
  • Wind-up Bartz Minion
  • Chicken Knife

Pre-orders for Stormblood will begin on January 24, 2017. Additional details for Stormblood will be shared during the European Fan Festival in Frankfurt on February 18-19, 2017.

With the launch of Stormblood, support on PS3 for Final Fantasy XIV would come to a close. At the same time, a PS3 to PS4 upgrade campaign is planned, which will allow PS3 players to seamlessly join in the battle for Ala Mhigo at launch.