Final Fantasy XVI: The Rising Tide gets a release date

During a livestream at PAX East, producer Naoki Yoshida, alongside DLC director Takeo Kujiraoka and translator Michael-Christopher Koji Fox, shared further details regarding Final Fantasy XVI The Rising Tide, the game's second DLC. In it, Clive will face off against the Water Eikon Leviathan, a recurring summon in the franchise.

In addition to sharing information about the story and gameplay, the panel also confirmed a release date. Final Fantasy XVI: The Rising Tide will hit PlayStation 5 on April 18th.

The DLC's story kicks off when a letter arrives at the hideout, mentioning that the Water Eikon, Leviathan, needs to be rescued. To do so, Clive, Joshua, Jill, and Torgal must venture to the forgotten land of Mysidia and uncover the tragic tale of a forgotten people.

An important point mentioned by director Takeo Kujiraoka is that this will be the final battle of the Eikon, where Ifrit faces Leviathan and the most challenging Eikon combat in the game. Furthermore, while in the base game Ifrit's power was fixed, in the DLC the Eikon will grow stronger as Clive strengthens himself, whether by leveling up or altering his equipment.

Kairos Gate is Final Fantasy XVI New Game Mode

In addition to the addition of Leviathan as a new Eikon, along with new aquatic abilities for Clive, the DLC introduces a new mode to Final Fantasy XVI called Kairos Gate, a kind of survival-like gameplay unlocked only in Final Fantasy difficulty. Clive must progress through 20 stages, acquiring items and equipment for the protagonist. Within the Kairos Gate, it's possible to earn BP to evolve the character's attributes as one proceeds through the challenge. Furthermore, each circle will confer a score for those who want to compete globally. Yoshi-P says that those who manage to achieve an S rank in all challenges will encounter a secret boss at the end.

The DLC will also come with a new free update, 1.30, for the base Final Fantasy XVI. In it, we'll have new mechanics such as a function to quickly complete quests, new icons for important character quests, fully mappable control buttons, patterns to easily switch between Eikon abilities, more photo mode effects and filters, and new rolls for the Orchestrion. The livestream also announced a crossover between Final Fantasy XVI and Final Fantasy XIV.

Final Fantasy XVI was released last year and already has a DLC called Echoes of the Fallen. Final Fantasy XVI: The Rising Tide lands on PlayStation 5 on April 18th. If you want to experience Ifrit's journey through the land of Valisthea, check out our comparator for the best CD key deals on Final Fantasy XVI and see what's all about the latest mainline entry in the crystal saga.