Huge Final Fantasy 14 news just dropped at the 2024 Tokyo Fan Fest keynote! Producer/director Naoki Yoshida himself unveiled the game’s final playable race – the long-awaited female Hrothgar warriors – arriving in the upcoming Endwalker expansion.
This monumental sneak peek kicks off the journey to Endwalker, which formally starts with the Patch 6.55 update on January 16th. Thatpatch allows players to finally encounter female Hrothgars in the game world. It marks a landmark moment as the last piece of FF14’s racial roster.
The cat (or rather lioness) got let out of the bag during Yoshida’s Endwalker trailer premiere. We see the new Pictomancer Job in action – a unique Caster DPS role that channels magical abilities through a mystical paint palette and brush. Trusty Lalafell Krile Baldesion takes point showing off the Job’s vibrant skill set.
While they haven’t locked down an exact Endwalker release date yet, Yoshida reassured fans they are still targeting a summer 2024 window. So not too long to wait!
The trailer concludes with the long-teased female Hrothgar stepping into frame. Initially shown in the Growing Light patch, she’s the daughter of Tural’s current ruler and integral to determining political succession. As a proud daughter of Ilsabard, her leonine heritage shines through in a sleek, muscular frame seemingly primed for leadership duties.
In addition to closing FF14’s racial loop, Yoshida confirmed planned upgrades to headgear visibility for both Hrothgar and Viera players. Though the female Hrothgar marks the final baseline race addition, he welcomed future community feedback should players desire even more diversity down the road.
Between a new Job tease, Endwalker story nuggets, and the female Hrothgar reveal, Yoshida clearly aimed to kick 2024 off with a roar for Final Fantasy fans. And judging by the electric reactions already pouring in, I’d say mission accomplished!
With the MMORPG riding high after a stellar 2023, this news infusion tees up continued vibrancy throughout the new year. The hype for Endwalker reaches fever pitch thanks to our first true glimpse of the fierce female Hrothgars. Come summer when the full expansion drops, Yoshida and crew may have yet more surprises in store to reward the Patient FF14 community.
But for now, January 16th can’t come soon enough. Let the countdown begin to patch 6.55 and the dawning of a new adventure featuring awesome anthropomorphic lionesses! Roarrrr!
