Summary
- Explore the new Stia Region and don’t stand in the fire!
- Encounter new, tougher DOLLS and other enemies who’ll have you sweating.
- Check out new class-specific abilities and skills, armor and weapons, interactable objects, Field Races, and more!
ARKS defenders may be out of the frying pan, but they’ll be stepping into the fire today with the launch of the Stia Region in Phantasy Star Online 2 New Genesis. The region features hot springs, lava pools, and some of the biggest and baddest enemies seen yet. You’ll need to bring your A-game to battle so you don’t get burned. In addition to adding a new region and story content, this update also includes new class-specific abilities and skills, weapons and armor, interactable objects, Field Races, various system improvements and a whole lot more!
Reconnaissance Mission: Stia
Dotted with Ryuker Devices for easy transportation, the 4 main areas of Stia are filled with DOLLS, resources, and lava. In Stia Outskirts you’ll find the Stia Camp, which can take care of your immediate needs for replenishment, Class Skill tuning, Weapon/Armor Enhancement, Side Quests, and other gameplay necessities. Upon exiting Stia Camp, you’ll find enemies camped out, ready to prey on the unprepared. The Grainne Coast lines Stia Outskirts and this is where the lava is forced to yield to water – separating Kvaris, Aelio, and Retem from Stia. Stia Outskirts is also home to the Dreisen Plant entrance, which has been deemed an active Combat Sector due to increased activity and frequent aggression from DOLLS. You may encounter Scout Wasps, which serve as Surveillance Drones for the DOLLS, so be on your toes so as to silence any activated alarms. You may be lucky enough to encounter Invisible Boxes, which are specially hidden rare item containers that are only detectable by your Mag Device and subtle environmental effects.
The Number One Rule: Don’t Stand in the Fire
Lava is hot and too hot is bad. In the Stia Region, Lava Bombs rain pain from above and Lava Pools stand ready to burn those who don’t step carefully. If you have a chaotic and destructive streak, however, New Genesis is here for you; these elements can be used to your advantage by quickly collecting bombs and throwing them at spherical Lava Cores that form within pools during certain weather conditions. The explosion created by this series of actions is quite the sight, and sure to annihilate any enemies standing in close proximity.
New Adversaries = a Good Time
DOLLS have adapted to the harsh terrain and take various forms in Stia. Three of the strongest DOLLS you may encounter include Nils Stia, Engouku, and Doldoris. Nils Stia has an attack that can be turned against it with clever exploitation of an elemental weakness, Engouku shares fighting-style similarities with the lightning-fast Bujin, and Doldoris causes even the bravest defenders to fall back and take cover when it deploys its Gatling Gun. However, the strongest enemies will also have amassed the best treasure, and the enemies in Stia are no exception. The 8-star Effulgent Fire Elemental Weapon Series can be found throughout Stia, though may be most easily acquired in the Combat Sectors. These weapons have a Potential that increases Critical Hit Rate after a successful dodge or attack negation. Two new types of 7-star Rarity Armor can also be found in areas of active engagement.
No Gain Without Train…-ia
Tackling the new Trainia found in Stia will provide defenders with additional Skill Points, which are needed for the new active and passive Class Skills that are included in this content update. There are 3 Cocoons available starting at level 63 and 1 Tower available to those level 65 or above. After successful completion of a Trainia, the Skill Points are available for immediate use back at the Stia Camp or any other Class Counter. Every Class has new Class Skills to choose from, and these can be either defensive, offensive, or supportive, and may provide either a passive or active benefit. Many classes received new skills that make other class-appropriate weapon types more viable, and this may see some defenders switching their loadouts accordingly.
Easier Leveling with Battledia
In addition to Trainia, Stia is also home to new Battledia combat facilities. These facilities require Battle Triggers (dropped by certain enemies) and can be accessed through their respective Trigger Portals. Battledia: Yellow are perfect locations to gain a good amount of EXP, while Battledia: Purple are significantly more challenging and may require a team effort. In Stia Battledia: Purple, Stia Devastators, you’ll fight a series of Gigantix that will leave you little room for error without punishing your results. However, the glory and rewards from success are great, as another 8-star Rarity Weapon Series, the Gunblaze weapons, drop from the enemies found in Stia’s Purple Battledia.
New Field Races
Field Races are a new addition to Exploration Sectors in New Genesis, and many have been added over the last few months. Naturally Stia will also include a Field Race, accessed by using the Racing Console near the Ryuker Device on the Grainne Coast of Stia Outskirts. Challenge yourself by making split-second decisions while you determine the best path to beat the times and scores of other players. To do this, you’ll need to pass through checkpoints and collect as many Score Symbols as you can while avoiding craggy and volcanic terrain. For your efforts, you’ll receive various beneficial Augments, which can be used to Enhance your gear, as well as Gathering Materials that provide desirable buffs when used as Quick Food at a Ryuker Device.
System: Optimized
As great as the above content sounds, that’s not the only thing that this update is bringing to the table on December 7. There’s also a large variety of system improvements that have been made. One long-desired change is the addition of new and departing item indicators on the Scratch Ticket Prize list, allowing players to easily identify new cosmetic items they want and items they should get before they’re gone. New or returning players will benefit from adjusted rewards for completing the Main Story Tasks in Chapters 2 and 3. Also, players who choose to create a new character can now dive right into the new story chapter, provided they have a character on their account who has already completed the previous chapters.
Feel the heat of the Stia Region now by visiting the Microsoft Store and downloading Phantasy Star Online 2 New Genesis, for free, on PC, Xbox One, or Xbox Series X/S!