Final Fantasy XIV has recently received an injection of brand new content, by way of Patch 5.45. As part of Futures Rewritten, the latest bumper patch for the Shadowbringers expansion of the ever-improving MMO, Square Enix has added a brand new large scale raid and updates to the Blue Mage limited job among other features.
While this is only a “midway” patch between the current and the next, it’s proven to be a meaty update regardless, especially for players invested in the Shadowbringers Resistance weapon questline.
If you haven’t played in a while, or are simply spoilt for choice on where to begin, we’ve put together a guide showcasing five updates from the new patch that are an absolute must to check out.
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Save the Queen: Past to Rest
First on the agenda for Final Fantasy XIV Patch 5.45 is the continuation of the Save the Queen storyline, which players have been experiencing as a part of their Resistance weapon acquisition. These weapons boast some of the highest item levels currently available in the game, and are often a good way to get geared up without dipping a toe into more challenging content, such as Extreme trials or Savage and Ultimate raids.
Thus far, the Save the Queen story has been largely well received by players. Penned by Yasumi Matsuno of Final Fantasy Tactics and Final Fantasy XII fame, the story has proven to be a much grittier undertaking than our usual grandiose adventures. Drenched in themes of militaristic intrigue and the horrors of war, it’s peak Matsuno, and looks set to raise the stakes even higher than they already were.
Delubrum Reginae: A Brand New Raid
Perhaps the biggest draw of the Save the Queen quest line so far will be the new large scale raid. Delubrum Reginae will be a ruined temple situated under Bozja, where we previously took the fight to the Garlean Empire along its Southern Front.
The new raid will have two separate levels of difficulty. The base experience will be a 24-man raid of normal difficulty, somewhat similar to raids we’ve battled through in the past.
For the more hardcore players, a 48-man Savage equivalent is also available. This version of the raid features a soft permadeath where you will be kicked from the instance if no healing item is available to get you back on your feet in time. Resurrection skills from healers are barred, meaning players must rely on Lost Actions and items found in the Bozjan Southern Front. This echoes the precursor to Delubrum Reginae: Stormblood’s Baldesion Arsenal raid, where similar restrictions were put in place.
To access the normal mode of Delubrum Reginae, players must have completed a previous instance, Castrum Lacus Litore at least once. The continued quest line is then available in the Gangos area. However, the Savage variant will only become available once reaching Resistance Rank 15 on the Bozjan Southern Front while also having over 700,000 Mettle, so players who haven’t done so already may have a serious grind ahead of them.
It’s got to be good, it’s Blue!
While Blue Mage has remained a divisive escapade in Final Fantasy XIV, thanks in large part to its status as a “limited” job (a specialised job that is barred from registering from many duties in favour of its own tailor-made content), it maintains a healthy level of interest that the developers are clearly happy with.
Designed to be deliberately unbalanced in regular play, Blue Mage tasks players with filling out a spellbook of abilities, learned by witnessing them be performed by certain enemies across the overworld and inside dungeons, trials and raids.
The latest update raises Blue Mage’s level cap to 70 allowing players to be let loose with the job in the areas added to Final Fantasy XIV’s second expansion, Stormblood. Alongside this newfound power comes additional learnable actions from enemies all across the Stormblood experience. So dust off those spell books and see what you can find!
More instances have been added to the Masked Carnivale, too. This is a solo instance that tests the culmination of one’s Blue Mage knowledge. If the previous Blue Mage update was anything to go by, the new challenges added in this patch are sure to test the boundaries of your survivability.
Skysteel Shenanigans
Hot off the heels of Patch 5.41’s Ishgardian Restoration step, crafting and gathering enthusiasts will continue to have their work cut out for them in 5.45. The update will allow players to further enhance their Skysteel Tools, the crafting and gathering equivalent of Resistance weapons.
As was the case in previous updates, Skysteel aficionados must build, forage, mine and/or fish depending on their chosen role. A certain amount of specified items will be required for turn-in to upgrade one’s tools even further. It’s sure to be quite the grind, so prepare for some hard graft if you’re planning to make your Skysteel tools even shinier than before.
Mounts, emotes and hairstyles. Oh, my!
Rounding out Final Fantasy XIV Patch 5.45 is the typical assortment of new goodies for Warriors of Light to work towards. Chief among them is the new mount that looks to be based on Cerberus, the tri-headed gatekeeper from the World of Darkness 24-man raid.
The mount looks to have space on it for multiple players to sit - a welcome addition as multi-seater mounts are definitely few and far between. A new, comically spooky emote has also been added to the game, alongside another hairstyle based on an entry from Final Fantasy XIV’s Hairstyle Design Contest.
Want to learn more about Final Fantasy Patch 5.45? The full patch notes are available here. For a more stylised summary of all the major updates from Patch 5.4, Square Enix’s special site is the place to go. Just be wary of spoilers if you’ve yet to delve into the new content, or begin Shadowbringers altogether!
- There’s never been a better time to jump into Final Fantasy XIV.
