The Cloud of Darkness is getting a new makeover in FFXIV patch 7.1

Apparently she will be the first feature boss in a new series of raids called Chaotic Alliance Raids. Whatever it sounds like, they’re more than just harder remixes of existing Alliance raids. Firstly, there will be no mad rush through a circuit of bosses and mobs. Players will instead start the instance from the Cloud of Darkness boss arena and remain there until the completion of the battle, just like with normal and ferocious attacks.

However, Chaotic Alliance Raids are not just a refresher for normal raids. While limited to just one boss, these new Alliance raids will still feature the full 24-man Alliance format. Players probably won’t have to practice the mass coordination required for content like Delubrum Reginae (Savage) – and thank Hydaelyn for that – but it will be more complicated than just getting eight party members to do simple math on the fly.

The developers originally aimed for extreme difficulty before their combat designer informed them that it “accidentally” went to the wild level and needed to be rebalanced, according to Yoshida. Players can reportedly expect the difficulty to be somewhere between extreme and ferocious levels.

Murouchi also added that there will not only be rewards for the first flawless attempt, but also an incentive to re-clear multiple times and help others get through the fight.

The screenshots of the battle mechanics themselves once again sent waves of dismay from both the live audience and livestream chat, and for good reason. From the looks of it, The Cloud of Darkness (Chaotic) will feature mechanics from Eden’s Promise: Umbra, including a transforming arena, damage-soaked towers, additional Cloud of Darkness clones, and possibly the infamous disappearing floor tiles mechanic.

Between this and the new upcoming Ultimate, it looks like the raids in patch 7.1 will be a total return to the Eden raid series from Shadowbringers. Other news from the LIVE Letter included Duty Support for Mahjong, updates on the new MSQ dungeons and more. You can watch the full broadcast on the official Square Enix Youtube channel for more details.