Exploring the Areas of Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker

13 Oct 2021
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We recently had a chance to play preview build of Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker as part of the North American Media Tour. During our hands-on time, we were able to explore Old Sharlayan in addition to two field areas: Garlemald and Thavnair. While exploring the field areas, we made it a point to go around and see the various FATEs that populated the zones in order to get a better understanding of the areas and what’s happening in them.

You can also find more coverage of the Endwalker Media Tour here.

This article is based on play of an in-development build of Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker, and content in the final version is subject to change.

Old Sharlayan

Old Sharlayan is a beautiful looking new hub for Endwalker, with a soundtrack that is equally as impressive. It was great exploring the Studium and getting to see classrooms and areas dedicated to specific fields of research. Down at Scholar’s Harbor, we got a look at some counters that we expect will be used for things like levequests or token exchanges. We also stumbled into a small building called The Baldesion Annex… might this be where we’ll start taking our Main Scenario Quests once we get to Old Sharlayan?

Garlemald

Garlemald is anything but welcoming to any adventurers that may want to visit. Monsters patrol the snowy fields outside of a city, and to make an already bad situation even worse, the magitek in the city seem to have had their programming changed by an unknown individual, and not for the better.

Here are some of the FATEs we encountered while exploring Garlemald.


A Bit of a Problem
Levitating, autonomous drones known simply as “bits” were deployed in great numbers during the Garlean civil war. Since the end of the hostilities, some enterprising miscreant has modified their targeting parameters, and now they mercilessly stalk any living thing that dares enter the imperial capital.

Exterminate, Exterminate
This horde of automated magitek weaponry was already a menace when under the command of its creators, and now that the machines’ programming has been overwritten by some unknown malefactor, it no longer distinguishes between friend and foe. For the sake of your allies and Garlean survivors alike, you must eliminate this threat with all due haste.

Not Yeti
Like its cousin the yeti, the almasty is vicious, opportunistic, and built like a brick shitehouse. To top it all off, they smell like an abattoir on a hot day, which may prove something of a distraction as you set about slaughtering them en masse.

Rocker, Roller, Out-of-controller
Squadrons of magitek monstrosities once patrolled the streets of Garlemald to scare the citizenry into driving safely. Now, with no one to oversee them, these roaders now charge about the city attempting to mow down anyone foolish enough to cross their path.

Roses are Red, Violence is Due
The barren icefields of northern Ilsabard are home to a surprising assortment of hostile flora, and none are more ferocious than the roselike Heliogablus. This botanical behemoth is capable of devouring anything it can fit in one of its multitude of maws, and given its immense size, that encompasses just about every creature on the continent.

A Snowball’s Chance
Despite appearing to be comprised largely of snow, the bizarre snegovik requires warmth much like any other creature. The ceruleum pipelines, for whatever reason, give off a certain amount of heat, which attracts snegoviki. There is a concern, however, that allowing them to huddle around the pipes will raise the temperature to dangerous levels, so they must therefore be driven off to prevent a potential explosion.

Trespassers Will Be Eaten
The search for sustenance has brought a wandering herd of ovibos into close contact with survivors of Garlemald, who, in addition to wanting to defend their territory, also have designs on the meat of these beefy brutes.

Thavnair

The jungles of Thavnair, while luckily not filled with magitek that are programmed to destroy, are having issues with many local, and foreign species of wildlife that are migrating to new areas or increasing in population.

Here are some of the FATEs we encountered while exploring Thavnair.


The Accursed Kanabhuti
A particularly large pisaca known for terrorizing the area has been transformed into an even more eldritch horror. Take up arms and end Kanabhuti’s reign of terror.

Of Claws and Gall
Giantsgall Grounds is being assailed by a pack of ravening ink claws that migrated from Vanaspati. Let them know they are less than welcome here.

Return of the Tyrant
Valin, the ill-tempered baboon king said to have been banished by Saint Agama, has returned to continue its rampage. The tyrant must be deposed once more if peace is to reign in the jungle.

We found our first pop culture reference bubble text in Endwalker!

Peek-a-Bhujamga
It’s all fun and games until someone wanders into poisonous bhujamga territory, as a group of children accidentally did while playing in the jungle. The vicious reptiles must be put down lest the little ones come to harm.

Shiver and Shock
Two species of giant snail hailing from the Far East were released into the wild and have been reproduced at a frightening speed. Dispatch the creatures and restore the ecosystem to its natural order.

Stalkers in the Shroud
Guhasaya with a taste for man-flesh have been sighted near a settlement. The brazen creatures must have the fear of men struck back into them.

Swipe Eft
A recent explosion in the Vanaspati eft population has seen a swarm of the creatures migrating downriver, where they are not welcome. Their numbers must be thinned out.