So regarding the Future Weapon Battles (Future Patches)

[RicaRuin]

My guess is that 5.3 won't feature any of the Weapons as a Trial. Traditionally, we have a Story Trial in 5.3, and with it being said to be the climax of the Shadowbringers story I don't think it would be a Weapon that hardly featured in the main Scenario. (Suspecting 'Ardbert' instead.)

They already said Sapphire is next, yes... but my guess is that in good old FF VII Tradition, Sapphire is dealt with via cutscene, maybe Solo Duty, leaving Emerald and Diamond as proper Trials.

[Seraphor]

I'd rather fight Sapphire because we don't fight it in FF7, also the blue and green haired au ra sppearto be more throwaway characters, with the 'diamond' haired siblings being the focal point, I expect they'll survive.
It would also be nice to have red, green and blue gwibers, we already have a white one.

[Niyuka]

You guys are missing the slowdown in content. I think we ll be getting at least 1 less EX trial for Shadowbringers, in line with the new pattern of content reduction. So I would guess one more weapon as EX trial, and maybe another as solo duty or dungeon boss built into the main story, since the ruby weapon is a branch off of MSQ anyways.

[RicaRuin]

I don't think they'd dare to make a Patch without farmable EX Content.

[Berteaux_Braumegain]

So Sapphire Weapon was name dropped, so does this mean we're also getting Emerald, Diamond, and possibly Jade Weapon?

I know Jade Weapon is a bit of a stretch since it was from Before Crisis, but it would be a cool twist.

If we go with the assumption that the next three patches will each have a trial used for the sidequest, then we only have room for Sapphire, Diamond, and Emerald. Jade Weapon and Omega Weapon will be left out.

[Crushnight]

I wouldn't expect more than 2 other fights (one of which will clearly be Sapphire)

3.x had three "side trials" of Sephirot, Sophia, and Zurvan
4.x had Byakko, Suzaku, Seiryu

SE loves their patterns and all.

2 things happened in SB that can throw a curve ball and we could have all the weapons.

1. We had 2 dungeons connected to the 4 lords storyline so very possible to have one weapon be a dungeon boss.

2. Hildabrand trial. We had an additional trial and it might be possible to have all weapons have a trial fight, since we haven't heard hide nor tail of Hildy or Nashu.

We also have a mystery trial with the Bozja Citadel questline that already has thrown a curveball in SE's predictable pattern. So anything is possible.

[TwiibieTwuu]

Considering how the new MSQ talk about new Ultima weapons we will probably have to fight one in a dungeon. Probably the last dungeon this expac.

Leaving the other 3 to be side bosses.

[Jandor]

Ultima is one of the few fights in the game that the WoL didn't canonically fight solo.

You canonically barely ever fight solo.

It's left ambiguous for the majority of fights, essentially up to the player. When the game does decide to specify one way or the other though, it's almost always on the side of the WoL having help.

[Duskane]

we also have the new relic/eureka Trial in Bozja Gabranth probably which has a Extreme

[Stepjam]

I mean we get a trial every patch. No reason to think we'd get one less EX.