Warriors of Light have finally got more information about what’s coming in FFXIV Evercold when it launches in January 2027, the MMORPG’s sixth expansion. During the keynote for the Berlin edition of the Fan Fest, the game’s director, Naoki Yoshida, finally announced the new job and the first of the new areas in the expansion: Bastion.
Dressed as Bastion on stage, Yoshida ushered in the new era of Tanks, and the first Evolved Mode-only job. But the director also gave audiences a deep dive into the job’s Viking-inspired lore.
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What is the new Bastion job?
To start, Bastion is a dual-wielding tank whose arms can be used as ranged or melee weapons in combat. With shield barriers and aggressive shots, this new Tank is offering more utility to the Main Tank role, with ranged elements that Paladins just don’t have.
During the Berlin Fan Fest keynote, Yoshi-P explained the job’s lore, and its fierce.
Bastion’s Official Concept:
Located in the vast expanse of the Northern Empty, Aerslaent has long been protected by the indomitable Bastions, Heritors of the ancient martial techniques developed over generations by the archipelago’s rulers.
It’s said that no Raider’s axe can penetrate a Bastion’s hulking Skyltborg-and one would be foolish to try, for these shape-changing greatshields’ aetherial artillery has brought a swift end to many a marauder, be it from near of far.
Of course, the Skyltborg also odder protection for its wielder and their allies in the form of defensive and curative boons.
What are the Bastion’s Arms?
Announced as the first new job coming in FFIXV Evercold, the giant great shields are known as Skyltborg. The naming of the Bastion’s Arms is a play on the Norwegian word Skjöldborg.
Skjöldborg is the term to describe the legendary Viking battle formation where warriors stood shoulder-to-shoulder with their shields overlapping to create a defensive barrier, better known as a shield wall. This makes the player’s experience multipurpose, but puts defense first.
The greatshields can be transformed into shields with barrells at the end to shoot from mid-range or morphed into claw-like blades to excel in melee combat. Where Gunbreaker offered tanks a big ‘ol sword gun, this new Tank job gives players two great shields that are also kind of swords? Well, claws?
In the trailer for the new job, the Tank’s appearance is really what steals the show. With similar aesthetics in animation to the Paaldin, the style of combat feels much more visceral when Bastion is in melee stance compared to ranged. The transformative quality of the Skjöldborg is really the kicker that gets me excited as a Tank main.
The melee elements of the job’s combat are the most exciting, with lungers and animations akin to what you see in bipedal hand-to-hand combat when claws are involved. It’s a unique element to the job that sets it apart from other Tanks, but still offers an aesthetic in line with Paladin’s armor sets.
Additionally, Bastion will only have Evolved as its Action Mode. You can watch the Bastion teaser trailer here to get a look at the upcoming new job yourself here.
What else was announced at Berlin Fan Fest?
For a full list of what was announced during the Berlin edition of Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest 2026, also gave Warriors of Light an early look at the new areas and city in the game’s next expansion. With a teaser trailer for each, which features walkthroughs of the archipelago areas, players can see what’s to come.
Yoshi-P also dove into new gameplay changes, upcoming crossovers with Evangelion and Final Fantasy VII, and expanded on the foundational announcements made in Anaheim. But it’s not all 8.0 launch updates. Yoshi-P also explained what players can expect from Patch 7.56 and the new Attraction coming to the Gold Saucer.
For a full recap of the Keynote, head here.
What is the Evercold release date?
Final Fantasy XIV Evercold does not have a specific release date just yet, though most are expecting it to come during Halloween’s Tokyo Fan Fest. That said, the release window for the game is January 2027. Yoshi-P also announced what will be included in the Collector’s Bundle.
Physical Collector’s Edition:
- Evercold Special Art Box
- Expertly Crafted Reaper Figure
- Ethos Metal Keychain
- Köttr Mini Plush
- Tapestry of the Fourth
Digital Collector’s Edition:
- The Crystal Skyltborg bastion weapon
- Vallhallar Odin mount
- Entreat Crystal emote
Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest Berlin took place from July 25th through July 26th in Berlin, Germany. Square Enix is closing out its global Fan Fest tour in Tokyo, Japan from October 31, 2026 to November 1, 2026.
