FFXIV Live Letter Explains New Small-Scale PvP Mode, Rewards Changes, And New "Battlepass" Type PvP Feature

It's no secret that PvP in FFXIV is in kind of a rough spot right now. Previousl Live Letters have teased a new, smaller scale PvP mode that Square Enix hopes will entice players to jump into the fray a bit more often. In tonight's Live Letter we finally got a peek at not only the new mode, but also an overhaul to the way rewards work in the MMORPG's PvP.

The new mode is called Crystal Conflict and it will be launching in Patch 6.1, the same time The Feast will be disabled in the game. Crystal Conflict brings two 5-person teams to the field in multiple maps, some of which have their own traps in store, and tasks players with working their way from their base to a crystal in the middle of the map. Take over the crystal and start pushing it slowly towards your opponent's base. Get it there and you win, easy peasy. That's kind of the whole point though. Square Enix wants a faster, simpler mode to get people in the PvP door.

The biggest change here is the previously known removal of role requirements. Party composition won't matter and players will have certain PvP actions (like a self heal) added to their arsenal. Each job will also get its own Adrenaline Rush.

These action changes will also extend to other PvP modes and Crystal Conflict will have both casual and ranked modes.

Outside of Crystal Conflict, the rewards structure for PvP is changing quite a bit for all PvP. Crystal Conflict will have its own rewards for each season, but there'll be a new, almost battlepass like feature that rewards players for earning experience in all PvP modes. It's currently called a "Series" but that could change.

Earn levels, get tokens. Certain levels of the pass will dish out specific rewards which can include mounts and even customization options for a new player "Calling Card" that will shown before matches and when searching players' profiles. More on this feature in the next Live Letter.

This "battlepass" runs in a "Series" which is different than a "season" of Crystal Conflict. Season = Crystal Conflict, Series = a larger amount of time and is all PvP.

To avoid the whole fear of missing out thing though, rewards from a previous series will cycle in and out of the token vendor. Old Feast rewards will also be cycled into the rewards tables over time.