| Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood | |
|---|---|
 Collector's edition cover art depicting Lyse | |
| Developer(s) | Square Enix Business Division 5[a] |
| Publisher(s) | Square Enix |
| Director(s) | Naoki Yoshida |
| Producer(s) | Naoki Yoshida |
| Designer(s) |
|
| Programmer(s) | Kiyotaka Akaza |
| Artist(s) |
|
| Writer(s) |
|
| Composer(s) | |
| Series | Final Fantasy |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | June 20, 2017 |
| Genre(s) | MMORPG |
| Mode(s) | Multiplayer |
Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood[d] is the second expansion pack to Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed and published by Square Enix for macOS, PlayStation 4, and Windows, then later on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. It was released on June 20, 2017, just under two years after Heavensward, the previous expansion. Like for its predecessor, Naoki Yoshida served as director and producer and Masayoshi Soken composed the soundtrack, with Nobuo Uematsu contributing the theme song. The expansion pack was released as a standalone product for current players; for new players, the "Complete Edition" of Final Fantasy XIV that originally launched with Heavensward was updated to include both expansions. In order to make necessary engine improvements, service for the PlayStation 3 game client was terminated with the expansion's early access period. A special upgrade campaign allowed affected players to obtain the PlayStation 4 version for free.
Stormblood marks a shift in the ongoing conflict with the Garlean Empire. Players lead rebellions in the imperial provinces of Ala Mhigo, an Eorzean city-state conquered twenty years ago, and Doma, a Far Eastern nation with a proud ninja tradition. These regions are administered by the emperor's son, Zenos yae Galvus, whose brutal oppression of the conquered imperial subjects impels the player to act. Traveling these diverse lands, players join forces with the Ala Mhigan Resistance and the deposed Crown Prince of Doma. In addition to adding new areas, the expansion pack increases the level cap, adds two new character classes, revamps the battle system for existing combat classes, and introduces swimming gameplay.
Stormblood was well received upon release and earned nominations for "Expansion of the Year". By August 2017, the title had reached a cumulative total of 10 million accounts.[1] As with its predecessors, major content patches were scheduled for every three months. The first one—"The Legend Returns"—was released on October 10, and premieres a storyline written by Yasumi Matsuno that features his signature Ivalice setting, as well as a special "Ultimate" difficulty battle, designed to be the most challenging content in the game.
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- ^ Lefebvre, Eliot (August 8, 2017). "Final Fantasy XIV passes 10 million worldwide players and gets a small patch". Massively Overpowered. Archived from the original on April 14, 2019. Retrieved February 26, 2019.