At long last, it’s finally here. Eureka — easily one of the most eagerly anticipated features of Stormblood — launched last Tuesday, and it’s fair to say it’s unlike anything else in FFXIV. In many ways, that’s arguably its greatest strength — as well as its greatest weakness. Eureka is many things depending on who you ask, but I think one thing everyone can agree on is that it’s divisive.

OK, but what exactly is it?

In the simplest terms, Eureka is an instanced zone packed to the brim with tough mobs. Players have a separate experience gauge to the rest of the game, which contributes to their ‘elemental level’, and this largely dictates your strength. Mobs have elemental strengths and resistances, and you can adjust what element you’re attuned to in order to compensate for that.