‘Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood’ Director Dons Auron Cosplay for Samurai Announcement

Square Enix has just confirmed the upcoming expansion set "Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood" will be adding the Samurai Job Class. Making the announcement is game director Naoki Yoshida, complete with an outfit reminiscent of the toughest Samurai of the series, Auron of "Final Fantasy X".

The archive of the Keynote at #FFXIVFanFest2017 is live! Watch Yoshida's dramatic entrance and huge announcements! https://t.co/hDb4jSMGO1 pic.twitter.com/vpo34Ia2Dn

— FINAL FANTASY XIV (@FF_XIV_EN) February 18, 2017

Revealed during the recent "Final Fantasy XIV Fanfest" in Frankfurt, Germany, the Samurai is the second new addition to the roster of classes for the game, with the other being the Red Mage. A melee damage-dealer, the katana-wielding Samurai prefers STR-based equipment among others. GameSpot adds that as it will not branch from other classes, "Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood" players will start their journey as a Samurai at level 50. The game's level cap has been increased to 70.

 Naoki Yoshida, also known as 'Yoshi-P', is credited as the one who rescued Square Enix' "Final Fantasy XIV". With the initial launch receiving a lot of negative reviews and low user base, Yoshida literally hit the 'reset' button and relaunched the game as "Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn." The relaunch proved successful, with around six million players as of July 2016.

Along with the director's cosplay, Square Enix also took the opportunity to release the new opening cinematic for "Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood". With the first part showcasing what seems to be a sparring match between two monks, the latter part brings the audience to the Asian-inspired continent of Othard, with the lone Samurai taking out a group of soldiers.

As Kotaku reported, a scene in the opening that shows a city inside a sphere located underneath the ocean. With reports that a new version of "Blitzball", the official sport and mini game in "Final Fantasy X", being worked on for "Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood", the connection to Spira is getting stronger.

Aside from the new job classes, "Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood" will be adding new raid dungeons in Yanaxia and the Azin Steppe for players to explore and conquer. Kugane, a port town of Othard, would also be the new hub for players in the upcoming expansion, with Shirogane as its residential area.

"Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood" will be released for the PlayStation 4 and PC on June 20, 2017.