Thread: The Road to 5.0

A new trademark went through for Square Enix recently (filed back in May), but today it's been setting a lot of discussion channels ablaze with speculation. We are presently 3 months (one patch cycle) from Fan Festival 2018 Part 1 of 3, and in the midst of The Rising. Seems a good a time as any to start this thread.

First things first: The Rising

Originally Posted by Wandering Minstrel

O hero of rebirth traversing
Soar you the azure skies
Upon your breast a crimson crest
Shine Light down from on high
O hero of rebirth transcending
Weave you an azure lie
By your deeds doth crimson bleed
And Darkness quench the fire

The Hero of Rebirth, shining light from on high, passing through azure skies and bearing a crimson crest ... and as crimson dies, (upper-case) Darkness quenches the fire...

Let's go back to Tales from the Storm for a moment.

Originally Posted by Azure to Ashes (Estinien)

His lifelong battle having reached its true conclusion, he could finally begin anew. None can say whither his road will lead, whether the skies that greet him will be the striking blue of day, the blazing crimson of dusk, or the deepening black of twilight.

Well, that feels like more than coincidence.

So... the shining dawn of rebirth, the azure skies of day, the crimson fires of sunset... the shadowy depths of twilight? Perhaps that speculation about the patches corresponding to times of day was right on the money. (Who shot that one from the hip, anyway? That deserves a toast.)

Which brings us to today... this attention to a new trademark by Square Enix.

Does that mean our new expansion will be heading into (upper-case) Darkness - Ascian-infested Garlemald? Probably. Less certain... does that mean the new expansion will pit the Shadowhunters against the...

Or is that just an unrelated coincidence? I suppose we'll have to see if we get any fuel for this fire in Patch 4.4: Prelude in Violet. (Now, is that ... the violet of Ala Mhigo? The end begins in Ala Mhigo? Or does azure sky and crimson flame merge to make a violet exit into twilight...?)