The reveal of Final Fantasy 14: Evercold promised some big shake-ups for the MMO, but one thing remains the same. A new expansion means new jobs. We're getting a new tank and DPS option this time around, and – also true to tradition – director and producer Naoki "Yoshi-P" Yoshida is daring you to stare at his T-shirt for further information.
"Of course, a new expansion means new jobs, and just like 7.0, we're planning to introduce two new jobs with 8.0," Yoshida says via translator at today's Fan Festival keynote in Anaheim, California. We're getting a new tank and physical ranged DPS, and "both of these new jobs are FF14 originals, as opposed to legacy FF jobs."
It's at this point that Yoshi-P took off his jacket to reveal his T-shirt, emblazoned with the words "guess who's back?" and an image of the infamous Rhitahtyn sas Arvina, a boss who appears near the end of the A Realm Reborn story. The original boss fight against him became such a joke as players' power level increased that the devs were eventually forced to revamp the battle entirely, but he still has a memetic place in the community's lore.
He also wields two shields across his bulky arms, which seems like a pretty natural concept for a new tank. But, equally, it's possible that the shirt offers some more esoteric clue. Yoshida did, after all, once use a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles shirt to tease the addition of Pictomancer. You know, because the turtles are named after painters, signalling a painting-based class. Obvious stuff, right?
Ultimately, your guess is as good as mine for what the two new jobs will actually be, but we'll know for sure in a few months' time. The proper job reveal is set for the next Fan Festival, which kicks off in Berlin on July 25.
For now, though, there's plenty of more concrete information to pore over. For long-time FF14 players, arguably the biggest news is the death of daily roulettes and the tomestone grind, but the fact that the long-teased Switch 2 port is real isn't far behind in terms of importance. But maybe I'm downplaying just how wild the impending Evangelion raid series is – and man, it is pretty wild.
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