MMO Weekly Recap #441 Feb 12th – FFXIV Endwalker Revealed, Primordials Goes F2P, New Seasons & More!

JamesBl0nde recaps the MMO gaming news for the week of February 12, 2021! Transcript follows.

PSO2 drops its first major update of the year along with a brand new class, Apex legends celebrates its second anniversary with style, Vigor’s new update drops a mortar strike on anyone who stays in one place too long and Rogue Company’s latest rogue comes with a sweet set of rocket firing halo drones!

What’s good everyone, JamesBl0nde here with the weekly recap for gaming news and announcements for the week of February 12th 2021 and starting out the news this week

The Final Fantasy XIV team has been super busy the past two weeks! While I was out, the game launched its 5.45 update, which added new content for the Blue Mage class, pushing it to level 70 with new spells to learn and quests to complete. It also added new Resistance quests, a new 24-man duty, and plenty of new items to make or collect. But this past weekend FF14 also released a major showcase for fans, revealing a bundle of new things to look forward to! Of course the key announcement was the reveal of the next expansion for Final Fantasy XIV, called Endwalker. This expansion will bring an end to the current major main story arc – though not the end of the game of course – and will introduce new areas, including going to the moon. The expansion will also add at least two new jobs, including the newly revealed Sage class, which looks like it’s a healer using floating laser knives? Looks fun at least. The long awaited Ishgard residential area is also finally coming, along with a bunch of other stuff! And to wrap it up, the PS5 open beta will start on April 13th and more details have been teased about the final 5.5 patch which will bring a conclusion to the Nier crossover and more.

In some other major news, Primordials: Battle of the Gods has announced it will leave Early Access and launch as a free to play title on March 4th on both Steam and the Epic Games Store. Previously known as Primordials of Amyrion, the game has been in early access since October and has made a number of major changes but has also decided that the best way to keep the game enjoyable is to open it to the most amount of players possible – while also promising microtransactions will be cosmetic and not pay to win. And if you haven’t checked out the game yet, it sortof describes itself as a strategic 1v1 tug of war where it’s all about dueling in a sort of MOBA-esque environment. Might as well give it a download next month, why not?

Last week Phantasy Star Online 2 launched its first major update of the year, introducing a brand new class. Luster is a Scion class only available once you’ve attained level 75 in at least two different classes, but unlocks some fun and powerful new abilities. The class uses only gunblades, but offers three different combat styles based on the element of the weapon they have equipped, plus both stationary and mobile abilities that offer different strategies for the battlefield. The update also comes with more story quests, new Extreme and Urgent quests, and many more rewards. On top of that, we’ve just found out that PSO2 is coming to the Epic Games Store on February 17th. That’s pretty big news.

And in other space MMO news, EVE Online has revealed its first Quadrant update for the year. Players can expect the new Fleet Discovery system, which lets players find and create fleets through a new Fleet Up tool, in addition to many other quality of life updates. Many popular past events are also returning, including Guardian’s Gala and The Hunt. These updates will be spread throughout the first quarter of the year with a new quadrant to follow after.

Meanwhile, things are beginning to warm up in Dauntless!  The new Realm of Ice update launched on February 4, and with it came a host of changes.  The most obvious, of course, is battling through the new area and facing off against the Urska, a behemoth of Skaldish legends.  Along the way, you’re also going to have to contend with frostbite, an all new affliction that will freeze you to the core.  Look forward to new rumors, a new hunt pass, and the return of the Saint’s Bond event — the most romantic of all Slayer holidays!

Need something a little more down to earth? Vigor has kicked off its seventh season, titled Mercenaries. The theme for the new gear and battle pass is military gear – from balaklavas and camo face paint to a new shotgun and machine gun. Also new is a mechanic which requires some exits to be opened before you can leave an Encounter, and an anti-camp mechanic that’ll bring down a mortar strike on anyone who stays in one place too long. That’s kinda awesome! There’s not many new features for this season, but that’s because the Vigor team spend this season focusing on game issues, such as improving memory optimization and returning the Fiske Fabrikk map to the rotation with improvements.

And another F2P shooter, Rogue Company, kicked off its very first season last week, and in the spotlight is the brand new Rogue, Kestrel. Kestrel has some nice resources at her disposal – she comes with two automatic weapons and rocket-firing drones, a passive that grants extra cash when she downs a target, and the new perk Resupply, which causes downed enemies to drop a supply kit that refills all purchased Gadgets. And of course, what would be a season update without a new battle pass with lots of bonuses and cosmetics to unlock, plus some new bundles to maximize your gameplay for a little exchange of real-world cash.

And Hi-Rez kept the update train rolling with a Season 4 update for Paladins, too. This update comes with the terrifying Yagorath, the Devourer – a massive, six-legged monster who dominates the field as a Frontline that can switch between a travel form that drops pools of acid, and a planted form that fires quills and can even devour Champions whole. Yikes. The season also brings its Season Pass for the year along with a new starter edition bundle for those who are just getting started.

Let’s take a break from all these season updates to catch up with Genshin Impact’s All That Glitters update, which brings quite a bit to the game! The part most people are interested in is the release of Xiao, the Vigilant Yaksha.  Xiao is quite a bit different from the rest of the cast, as his main strength comes in massive jumping plunge attacks on his foes.  In addition to this jumpy boy comes an all new world boss: the Primo Geovishap. Imbued randomly with either pyro, cryo, electro, or hydro, it will certainly have you looking for a way to shield yourself from its massive  attacks. Now live in the game is the Lantern Rite event, which is a twist on the tower defense genre. Completing this event with a high score also allows you to choose one of the 4* characters from the Liyue region of the game, perfect for getting someone new or to strengthen a character you’ve already got!  Look forward to more events coming in the coming weeks.

GWENT has also entered a new season this week, with the fourth season of Journey. Themed around Yennefer of Vengerberg, this three month long season features weekly quests across all game modes. Like any other season you know what you’re getting – a free battle pass plus a Premium pass with added special rewards. Still, Yennefer’s a popular character and this season will let you customize her and learn more of her story. Oh, and their Love Event has just kicked off as well.

And the 13th season has arrived in Destiny 2. The Season of the Chosen has begun, putting players in a new three-player match activity to battle against the Cabal. The Devil’s Lair and Fallen S.A.B.E.R. Strikes have returned, with the Proving Grounds strike coming later in the season. And of course players can earn some new Legendary and Exotic gear, including an impressive bow and armor set with the Season Pass. Season of the Chosen will run until May 11th.

Can you believe it’s been two years since Apex Legends launched?  Well, the new Anniversary Collection event going on right now is going to reward you for playing during this milestone.  The reward track has been loaded with a bunch of stuff, including two event and ten Apex packs!  In fact, just logging in from now until Feb. 23 gets you five rewards right away.  An all new Takeover is available, called Locked and Loaded, where you start with a bunch of common gear, but common gear has also been removed from the loot pool in the match!  Tackle seasonal challenges for new badges, a new weapon charm for dealing lots of damage with the Mozambique, and marvel at several fan favorite skins done up in crimson and gold instead!

In other news, Crossout has just released its newest season update, Syndicate. Running through April 30th, there are a total of 75 levels in the event where players can unlock parts, recipes, and a banner from the new faction, by completing daily and weekly challenges. The new faction – called the Neon Dragon Syndicate – has a strong Asian cyberpunk theme with bright neon colors. Gotta get your cyberpunk in somehow, right?

League of Legends is ready to celebrate another Lunar Beast event, which is ongoing until March 8th. There are several missions you can complete to earn Lunar Beast themed cosmetics and goodies, including chromas and the coveted Lunar Beast Orb, which contains a skin shard and the chance to get a Lunar Squad bag. Of course there’s also an event pass and plenty of skins to purchase in the game’s shop during this time so make sure to grab your favorite before it’s gone.

Speaking of Lunar New Year – it and Valentine’s Day are the hot topics in most games this week! I’d be exhausted if I talked about every single one, so make sure to check out the links in the description below for more info about events in Fortnite, Skyforge, ArcheAge, and more.

Finally let’s hit on this week’s free game on the Epic Games Store, which is… Halcyon 6: Starbase Commander. This is a retro-styled, sci-fi themed strategy RPG that promises a unique blend of humor and nods to sci-fi game classics like XCOM and Master of Orion. Remember it’s only available for free for a week, so grab it before the next recap!

But with that said, that’s about it for all the major news and announcements for this week. Be sure to stay safe, and keep your families healthy! Like always you can find more information on the news topics, linked in the description below, feel free to discuss the news or even more news in the comments below and don’t forget to like, subscribe, wash your hands a bunch, hit that little bell icon to get notifications and of course share this video! But until next time guys that’s going to be it for me… I’m JamesBl0nde… see ya out there gamers!