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‘Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers’ to launch July 2 with Gunbreakers and Viera

Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers, the upcoming expansion to the Square Enix MMORPG, is set to launch on July 2 with a new class and race.

The first trailer for Shadowbringers was shown in November at the Final Fantasy XIV Fanfest in Las Vegas. There were hints that the game’s third expansion, after 2015’s Heavensward and 2017’s Stormblood, will feature a new class wielding a gunblade like Final Fantasy VIII‘s Squall. There was also speculation the the Viera, represented in Final Fantasy XII by Fran, will finally be added to the MMORPG.

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The game’s director and producer, Naoki Yoshida, revealed a lot more about Shadowbringers at the ongoing Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival in Paris.

An extended trailer for Shadowbringers was released, showing some Final Fantasy XIV characters and what awaits the crew in the expansion.

FINAL FANTASY XIV: SHADOWBRINGERS Extended Teaser Trailer

Yoshida also unveiled the Gunbreaker, the name of the new class that will use gunblades. The job will start at level 60 in Gridinia, but according to Yoshida, this may change before the release of the expansion. Gunbreakers will play the role of tanks, and are not ranged characters. There are several more new classes that will be added to Final Fantasy XIV in Shadowbringers.

FINAL FANTASY XIV: SHADOWBRINGERS Gunbreaker Reveal

Confirming the speculation, the Viera will be making their way to Final Fantasy XIV. A trailer for the rabbit-like race revealed what the Viera will look like in the game.

FINAL FANTASY XIV: SHADOWBRINGERS - New Race “The Viera”

Yoshida also announced that the new Alliance raid in Shadowbringers will be a crossover with Nier: Automata. However, the details of the raid were not revealed.

Shadowbringers will introduce nine new dungeons, as well as a new feature named the Trust System. The feature allows players to team up with NPC’s to take on missions that currently require them to be part of a group. The NPC’s that players will team up with are from Final Fantasy XIV‘s story, so they will be familiar.

Shadowbringers will be open to pre-orders on February 6, and players who do so will be able to participate in early access on June 28. Pre-ordered copies of Shadowbringers will also come with a special Baby Gremlin minion, and an earring that will grant players 30% bonus experience until they reach level 70.

Aaron Mamiit
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All Wall of Memories curiosities in Final Fantasy 16
Final Fantasy 16's cover showcasing its protagonist infront of two demon summons.

Clive is a more sentimental guy than you might expect from looking at him. Even though he puts on a tough face, it's clear he still cares deeply for those around him in Final Fantasy 16. This is most obvious once you unlock the Wall of Memories where he will store all the trinkets and items he finds to display. These curiosities are the main collectibles you will be picking up throughout Final Fantasy 16, but only the first is handed to you. The remaining ones will be off the main path and take a little more work. If you want to fully stock Clive's Wall of Memories with every collectible, here's where you can find them in Final Fantasy 16.
All curiosities

There are a total of 22 curiosities to find to fill up your Wall of Memories in Final Fantasy 16, but you could really say 21 since the first is given to you as part of the story. Here's where to get them all so you can unlock the For the Hoard trophy.
The Oath
Automatically obtained once you reach the "Cid the Outlaw" main quest.
Ambrosia's Tack
Rewarded to you after completing "The White-Winged Wonder" sidequest.
Martelle Apples
Rewarded to you after completing "The Fruits of Her Labors" sidequest.
Cid's Goblet
Rewarded to you after completing the "Payback" sidequest.
Guardians Scarf
Rewarded to you after completing "The Flames of War" sidequest.
Continental Censer
Rewarded to you after completing the "An Eye for an Eye" sidequest.
Hanged Man Signboard
Rewarded to you after completing the "For Great Justice II" sidequest.
Martha's Rest Signboard
Rewarded to you after completing the "Rekindling the Flame II" sidequest.
Crimson Caravans Signboard
Rewarded to you after completing the "Trading Places II" sidequest.
Charred Sparring Sword
Rewarded to you after completing the "More than Words" sidequest.
Scholar's Bonnet
Rewarded to you after completing the"An Inconvenient Truth" sidequest.
Stolas Quill
Rewarded to you after completing the "A Tail to Tell" sidequest.
Model Airship
Rewarded to you after completing the "Aiming High" sidequest.
Winter Mead
Rewarded to you after completing the "Silver Linings" sidequest.
Rusted Battlehelm
Rewarded to you after completing the "Where There's a Will" sidequest.
Snow Daisy Garland
Rewarded to you after completing the "Priceless" sidequest.
The Triunity Accord
Rewarded to you after completing the "Three's Company" sidequest.
Briar's Kiss Signboard
Rewarded to you after completing the "Lines in the Sand II" sidequest.
Clayhearth Signboard
Rewarded to you after completing the "Duty Undying II" sidequest.
Veil Signboard
Rewarded to you after completing the "Under New Management II" sidequest.
Medicine Chest
Rewarded to you after completing the "Back to Their Origin" sidequest.
The Circle of Malius
Rewarded to you after completing all of the trails in every chronolith.

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A chronolith trial pillar glowing in the sunlight.

Every Final Fantasy game changes up the battle system in one way or another. Final Fantasy 16 isn't the first to have real-time, action-focused combat, but is by far the most polished and refined one. The story is by no means secondary, but for the first time players are able to really express themselves through the various combos and abilities you can pull off. Square Enix recognized this and included special combat trails called Chronolith Trials. These are somewhat similar to the special missions you can find in games like Devil May Cry 5 where you are faced with a unique challenge for a reward. As tough as these challenges are to beat, finding them is also a bit of a chore. Hop on your Chocobo and follow our lead to find all the Chronolith locations in Final Fantasy 16. 
What are Chronolith Trials?

Chronolith Trials are unique combat trails that put you into an arena that spawns waves of enemies. There will always be three rooms that each spawn three waves of enemies, plus a boss at the end. You're on a timer, and can only use a designated Eikon with predetermined abilities. By pulling off Battle Techniques, including Precision Dodge and Ability Finishes, you can extend your time. If you're quick enough to beat all the enemies without running out of time, you'll earn a special accessory as a reward. There are seven in total, and completing them all will also unlock the final Wall of Memory item you need to complete that collection.
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Phoenix
In Greensheaves in Rosaria, fast travel to Martha's Rest and exit to the north. Follow the path east and you will find it just before the path leading to Rhiannon's Ride.

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Final Fantasy X

While the role-playing game (RPG) has become a catch-all genre, now encompassing an almost silly range of games that don't share much in common, there was one video game franchise in the 1980s that was the quintessential RPG. Yes, we're talking about Final Fantasy from Square Enix.

The fantasy Japanese RPGs debuted on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1987, but they became cultural touchstones in the '90s as Super Nintendo games. From there, the series made an incredibly successful jump to 3D on the PlayStation 1 before the mainline series started to take more risks, including the elimination of turn-based battles and massively multiplayer online game (MMO) entries, and the latest game, Final Fantasy XVI, becoming a full-on character-action game.

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