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Final Fantasy 14 Patch 5.11 introduces new Ultimate Difficulty Raid

Final Fantasy 14's Patch 5.11 continues building on content introduced two weeks ago, adding a new Ultimate Difficulty Raid and a new town to help rebuild.

Ozzie Mejia

November 12, 2019 5:45 PM

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Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn has been putting a twist on the typical series formula since the release of its Shadowbringers expansion. A big chunk of the story has even proven challenging for a portion of the game's long-time userbase. But Square Enix is ready to really bring the challenge out for players with the launch of Patch 5.11, which introduces the game's latest Ultimate Difficulty Raid.

The Epic of Alexander will be a long and arduous tasks for teams of eight. You'll have to be a Disciple of War or Magic at level 80 in order to participate and also be willing to set aside a full two hours. Let's take a look at what this Raid entails, taken from the Final Fantasy XIV Patch 5.11 notes.

"The clockwork fortress that manifested itself in the far reaches of snow-swept Dravania did bear an uncanny resemblance to the great steel giant sung of in the legends of the Hotgo, an Auri tribe hailing from far across the sea. Inspired by this tragic tale of a mechanical god who placed his trust in a single mortal soul, the minstrel spreads the proverbial wings of imagination and takes flight, weaving an impassioned ballad of hope and despair profound."

Square isn't specifying what sorts of rewards are at stake, which is somewhat of a big omission, given the Raid's difficulty. If you're going to take on something like the primal Alexander, it should be worth your while, right? However, the development team does note that players can claim a separate reward once per week upon completing the Raid.

Patch 5.11 also launches the various content tied to the Ishgard Restoration. This allows them to discover new materials, craft new items, and contribute towards the restoration of the Firmament district in the Foundation. Multiple players can contribute to the reconstruction of this devastated area, wrecked during the Dragonsong War.

The latest Final Fantasy XV patch further adds to the content introduced in the recent Patch 5.1. Introduced just a few weeks ago, Shadowbringers owners are now ready to a new slate of story missions, dungeons, and even an Alliance Raid Dungeon co-designed by Nier: Automata director Yoko Taro which introduces elements of the 2017 hit effort.

Final Fantasy XIV's Patch 5.11 is up now. For more on Shadowbringers, be sure to check out our PAX West interview with main scenario writer Natsuko Ishikawa and art lead Takeo Suzuki.

Ozzie Mejia

Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?