Final Fantasy 14 recently held the last Live Letter from the Producer before the release of its fourth expansion pack, Endwalker. The press release introduced big changes coming to PvP in the first major content patch of Final Fantasy 14: Endwalker, expected to launch sometime in February or March.
The first big change coming to Final Fantasy 14’s PvP is a brand new mode called Crystal Conflict. This 5v5 mode has teams pushing the Tactical Crystal in the center of the map into the enemy’s side of the field–a system that may sound familiar to Team Fortress 2 or Overwatch players. Several maps from locations across FF14's world will be available, each with its own environmental effects. Crystal Conflict will replace the Feast, the existing team deathmatch mode being removed in the selfsame patch.
Several other PvP systems are coming in Endwalker patch 6.1 as well. The new Series reward system lets players earn Series experience to unlock special mounts, gear, and other items specific to that series. Though the Series, levels, and rewards will reset after a time, old rewards will be attainable via other means. Roles are also being adjusted to grant all jobs similar tools with the goal of reducing stress on healers and tanks, as well as the matchmaking system itself. Lastly, a Calling Card system is being added, which will allow players to customize a PvP profile viewable by other players.
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This isn’t the first change FFXIV has made to its PvP systems. The system in place today would be unrecognizable to players during A Realm Reborn, even before patch 6.1. Previous revamps have evened the playing field between new and veteran players, and the upcoming changes seek to do the same, this time with a focus on allowing all jobs to have equal use on the battlefield.
Though the PvP community in Final Fantasy 14 is comparatively small, fans of competitive gameplay are excited about the upcoming changes. The influx of new players, many from PvP-heavy World of Warcraft, means more attention on the oft-neglected mode. With a larger potential market for PvP players, this facelift is timely and smart. Many PvP communities within the Final Fantasy 14 fanbase are eager to dive into the new systems and encourage other players who might be intimidated by PvP to give it a try.
Some players are less enthusiastic about the PvP changes coming to Final Fantasy 14. Competitive play, even on a casual level, can be a lot more stressful than PvE content, and the past history of fickle support for PvP has turned many off from it. However, Final Fantasy 14 seems intent on making its PvP systems stronger, sleeker, and more accessible than ever before. Even players who would otherwise be hesitant to even consider getting into it should at least give it a shot after Endwalker Patch 6.1.
Final Fantasy 14 is available now on PC, PS4, and PS5. The Endwalker expansion launches on December 7.