Final Fantasy 14 is entering the mid-expansion stage for the critically acclaimed Endwalker, and as many Final Fantasy 14 fans have come to expect by now, major expansion patches are often where the game's best content can be found. One needs to look no further than the thrilling Dragonsong Saga from Heavensward or the final Stormblood patches to know that Square Enix probably has quite a bit in store for Endwalker before it's ready to shift its focus towards the new expansion.
The game's current patch, "Newfound Adventure," has introduced a plethora of long-anticipated features to the game such as Ishgard housing (and its infamous lottery system), but more importantly, it set the stage for a completely new chapter in the tale of Etheirys and its Warrior of Light. This tale continues in Patch 6.2, "Buried Memory," as the Void, the Thirteenth Shard lost to the reckless machinations of the Ascians, finally takes center stage for the first time since the Crystal Tower raids.
In the newly released trailer for Patch 6.2, a mysterious reaper bearing an oddly familiar scythe sets the stage for this world of darkness as the wistful narration is contrasted by the pristine Island Sanctuary that Final Fantasy 14 players will finally be able to get their hands on in Buried Memory. While all signs point that the story will focus on the former Scions of the Seventh Dawn as they undergo their first expedition into the Void alongside the dragon Vrtra, the patch also introduces two exciting additions to the endgame.
The raid series for Endwalker is getting expanded as Pandaemonium's second tier releases with Buried Memory. Accompanied by Themis and the warder Erichthonios, players will be delving deeper into the depths of the Amaurotine prison, and will have a chance to meet its esteemed master, Lahabrea. It is unknown whether Lahabrea will pose an obstacle for the Warrior of Light yet again, but many speculate that the raid series will revolve around the players helping him seal and contain an eldritch monstrosity buried at the heart of Pandaemonium.
The second exciting thing coming in Buried Memory is the introduction of Variant dungeons. Usually, dungeons and alliance raids in Final Fantasy 14 are designed to be linear as a means of streamlining the content and eliminating the friction that arises when the group disagrees on which route they should take. By contrast, Variant dungeons embrace the non-linearity. Players will be able to experience vastly different pathways, or even bosses, that all ultimately lead to the end of the dungeon – and inspired by the popularity of Crystalline Conflict, they will be able to do so using any possible party composition.
The difficulty curve for Variant dungeons in Final Fantasy 14 will be a bit more relaxed compared to normal dungeons, but a separate Savage mode is also arriving to sate the demand of players wanting more challenging 4-person content. Whether the system becomes a mainstay for the game in the future is unknown, but for now, players will be able to join Nanamo and explore the ruins of Sil'dih in Buried Memory on August 23.
Final Fantasy 14: Endwalker is available now for PC, PS4, and PS5.
