Announcing the October Version Update.

Greetings to adventurers around the world!
It’s me, Matsui, back with the scoop on the upcoming October update.

Here in Japan at least, October is a time to put away our summer clothes and break out the long-sleeve shirts and jackets. In that sense, it’s also a time to reconsider our daily routines. As for me, I like to keep things simple—dress light when it’s hot and layer up when it’s chilly. Except for one shirt I have that’s signed by my wife (Item Level: Really High)—that’s my special battle garb, so I wear it all year round when the occasion calls for it.

With that, let’s get into the version update. This month’s update will feature a host of additions and refinements to existing game content.

First up is Vagary—here we’ll be adding a new battlefield where you can take on a boss battle of your choice. This should serve to address a popular request: making it easier to unlock the upgrade process for Empyrean weapons. Mind you, you won’t receive any loot if you take this option, but we hope it’ll be a help to those of you who are looking to augment your gear.

Second on the list is Sinister Reign. Many of you have voiced frustration that enemies are chosen randomly, so we’ve decided to answer the call and add a route where you can choose your own foes. That said, we needed it to coexist with the existing system, so we’ve set up a trade-off: while you’ll be able to choose your foes in the new system, there’s a chance you may not reap any spoils. With the traditional route, in return for the downside of having foes selected randomly, you’re guaranteed to earn items for your victory. Furthermore, in the new route where you can choose your own foes, there’s a higher that the items you earn will be of higher quality. We encourage you to weigh the options and choose the route that’s right for you.

Finally, we’ve added some extra polish to Besieged. Currently, there’s an issue where time can run out while armies are advancing, resulting in them just marching on home. In looking for a way to address this, we identified a major cause of this—advancing enemies’ tendency to stand still for frequent and long periods of time—and addressed it for the next update. That said, there are other factors at play as well, so we plan to keep an eye on things and implement further tweaks and refinements as necessary to ensure a smooth, streamlined invasion of the empire! Err, sorry if it sounds like I’m taking the beastmen’s side all of a sudden. When you create monsters for a living, it just happens sometimes...

Oh, and of course we’ll be bringing you new challenges in Ambuscade as well. We hope you can enjoy it along with the rest of the fashionable fall refinements to existing content.

For a complete and detailed list of everything going in the new update, read on below. As always, please remember that the elements mentioned are still undergoing testing, and some may be postponed until a future patch. Thank you for your understanding, and happy adventuring in Vana’diel!

Content and System-related

<table width="620" border="0"><tr><td width="15%" bgcolor="#a8d0d7" align="center">Implementation Timing</td><td width="35%" bgcolor="#a8d0d7" align="center">Update Task and Overview</td><td width="40%" bgcolor="#a8d0d7" align="center">In-progress Task</td><td width="10%" bgcolor="#a8d0d7" align="center">Notes</td></tr><tr><td bgcolor="#c6e9ef">October</td><td bgcolor="#eaf2f3">Ambuscade</td><td bgcolor="#eaf2f3">・ Add new notorious monsters<br>・Replace reward items</td><td bgcolor="#eaf2f3" align="center">-</td></tr><tr><td bgcolor="#c6e9ef">October</td><td bgcolor="#f5fafb">Sinister Reign</td><td bgcolor="#f5fafb">・ Adjust system</td><td bgcolor="#f5fafb" align="center">-</td></tr><tr><td bgcolor="#c6e9ef">October</td><td bgcolor="#eaf2f3">Vagary</td><td bgcolor="#eaf2f3">・ Adjust system</td><td bgcolor="#eaf2f3" align="center">-</td></tr><tr><td bgcolor="#c6e9ef">October</td><td bgcolor="#f5fafb">Besieged</td><td bgcolor="#f5fafb">・ Adjust behavior of advancing armies</td><td bgcolor="#f5fafb" align="center">-</td></tr><tr><td bgcolor="#c6e9ef">October</td><td bgcolor="#eaf2f3">Porter Moogle</td><td bgcolor="#eaf2f3">・ Add to list of supported items</td><td bgcolor="#eaf2f3" align="center">-</td></tr></table>

Item-related

<table width="620" border="0"><tr><td width="15%" bgcolor="#a8d0d7" align="center">Implementation Timing</td><td width="35%" bgcolor="#a8d0d7" align="center">Update Task and Overview</td><td width="40%" bgcolor="#a8d0d7" align="center">In-progress Task</td><td width="10%" bgcolor="#a8d0d7" align="center">Notes</td></tr><tr><td bgcolor="#c6e9ef">October</td><td bgcolor="#eaf2f3">Item</td><td bgcolor="#eaf2f3">・ Add new items</td><td bgcolor="#eaf2f3" align="center">-</td></tr><tr><td bgcolor="#c6e9ef">October</td><td bgcolor="#f5fafb">Ergon Weapon</td><td bgcolor="#f5fafb">・ Add Afterglow <br>・ Add Effects</td><td bgcolor="#f5fafb" align="center">-</td></tr></table>