FFXIV Evercold Reveals Bastion, First New Tank Job With Twin Greatshields
Square Enix used the opening keynote of Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival 2026 in Berlin to unveil Bastion, the first of two brand-new jobs coming with the Evercold expansion, alongside an extended story trailer, a Final Fantasy VII Remake crossover raid and a confirmed Nintendo Switch 2 launch window. Producer and Director Naoki Yoshida took to the stage on July 25 to walk fans through the reveal in person.
Bastion Wields Twin Skyltborg Greatshields as Evercold’s First Tank
During the Fan Festival 2026 in Berlin keynote address, Yoshida revealed the first new job coming to Evercold: Bastion, a main tank that wields a pair of greatshields known as skyltborg, and unveiled a trailer showcasing the new job in action. According to a hands-on breakdown from GamesRadar+, the footage first shows a glimpse of some of its moves, blending up-close-and-personal combat with the ability to fire off its weapons from a bit of a distance.
Character creation details confirmed at the show clarify how players will pick up the class. TheSixthAxis reported that Bastion is a Main Tank role, starting at Level 90 and obtainable in Limsa Lominsa, matching earlier reporting that the job launches directly into the expansion’s endgame-adjacent power bracket rather than starting from scratch. RPG Site separately confirmed the class was demonstrated live during the keynote, noting that Square Enix then showcased the Bastion job, which starts at level 90.
Bastion will also be locked to the game’s newer combat framework. GamesRadar+ noted that this job will use the MMO’s new streamlined moveset, the same Evolved Action Mode system Square Enix first previewed at an earlier US Fan Fest. A second job for Evercold has not been detailed yet; GamesRadar+ confirmed fans will have to wait for the Japanese edition of Fan Fest for that reveal.
Extended Teaser Trailer Sets the Stage on the World of the Fourth
Alongside the job reveal, Square Enix released a longer cut of its Evercold teaser. Per the official press release, the extended Evercold teaser trailer provides a glimpse into the world of the Fourth and the adventures that await the Warrior of Light in the start of the Goddless Realms Saga story arc.
TheSixthAxis, reporting live from the Berlin show floor, described specific beats from the footage, writing that the trailer showed the arrival of the Warrior of Light, Alphinaud, and Estinien into the Fourth, with the latter immediately drop-kicking a creature into shards in one of the coolest things the outlet had seen in recent game trailers. The same report added that the trailer also featured new characters, new locations and snippets of story.
Beyond the Lifestream Raid Reunites Yoshida With FF7 Remake’s Hamaguchi
The keynote’s biggest surprise for story fans was a crossover raid tied to Square Enix’s other flagship series. Joined on stage by Final Fantasy VII Remake series Director Naoki Hamaguchi, Yoshida also revealed “Beyond the Lifestream,” a new Final Fantasy VII-themed 8-player raid series that players will challenge in Evercold. The two teams framed it as a genuine collaboration rather than a simple cosmetic tie-in, with the press release stating both development teams are working closely together to create an exciting new raid experience for players.
Outrun Gaming’s coverage of the show corroborated the raid announcement independently, noting that Yoshida was also joined by Final Fantasy VII Remake director Naoki Hamaguchi to reveal “Beyond the Lifestream,” a new Final Fantasy VII-themed 8-player raid series that players will challenge in Evercold. New zones were also confirmed for the expansion’s map, including a realmship area RPG Site listed among the trailers shown, the new area Hringhorni, the Realmship of Fire, alongside a new city called Fargarth and Naglfar, the Realmship of Water.
Collector’s Bundle Includes an Amano-Illustrated Box and Reaper Statue
Square Enix also detailed the physical Evercold Collector’s Bundle during the same address. Outrun Gaming reported the set includes the Evercold Special Art Box, Expertly Crafted Reaper Figure, Ethos Metal Keychain, Köttr Mini Plush, and Tapestry of the Fourth. A digital Collector’s Edition ships alongside it, and the official press release confirms it is featuring three in-game items: the Crystal Skyltborg bastion weapon, Vallhallar Odin mount, and Entreat Crystal emote.
Square Enix has not yet locked in pricing or a storefront date for the bundle. The press release notes only that more information regarding availability and pre-orders will be announced in the future.
Evercold Launches January 2027 as Switch 2 Version Arrives Weeks Earlier
The expansion itself remains dated for early next year. Evercold is the sixth expansion for Final Fantasy XIV Online, set to launch in January 2027 alongside new playable content, the Final Fantasy VII Remake Trilogy crossover raid series, and the Nintendo Switch 2 version release date. Outrun Gaming’s independent report confirmed the same release window, adding that Square Enix has released a brand-new trailer for Final Fantasy XIV: Evercold, the upcoming expansion for Final Fantasy XIV Online, slated for release in January 2027.
Ahead of that, the base game’s Switch 2 port arrives far sooner. TheSixthAxis confirmed it will launch on 4th August, 2026, with pre-orders starting today on Nintendo eShop, and added that Square Enix is smoothing the transition with a one-month free subscription period on Nintendo Switch 2 to help manage server load at launch. For Australian and New Zealand players who have been tracking the console port closely, that timing means the Switch 2 edition will already be live for roughly five months before Bastion and the wider Evercold expansion follow in January.
Read also: FFXIV: Evercold Expansion Confirmed for Jan. 2027, Switch 2 Version Launches Aug. 4
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