Updated

Updated · Gematsu · Jun 18

Cygames Releases Granblue Fantasy Relink Demo Across 4 Platforms Ahead of July 9 Launch

Updated

Updated · Gematsu · Jun 18

Cygames Releases Granblue Fantasy Relink Demo Across 4 Platforms Ahead of July 9 Launch

Q: After promising a 'final update,' why is Cygames now charging for its massive new Granblue expansion?

Cygames is charging for **Endless Ragnarok** because it says this is not a routine post-launch patch, but an unplanned, full-scale expansion built after **Granblue Fantasy: Relink** far outperformed expectations and players kept asking for more. The “final update” promise referred to the original free support roadmap. In April 2024, Cygames said version 1.3.0 would be the last update for Relink, and director Tetsuya Fukuhara said the game was not originally designed as a live-service title with endless free content. After release, however, Relink sold more than **2 million copies**, and the studio says fan demand created pressure to continue. Rather than resume small free updates, Cygames changed course and spent about **two years** building a much larger add-on. By the company’s own description, **Endless Ragnarok** is closer to a new game-sized expansion: a major new story, six additional playable characters, new bosses, the **Summons** combat system, the solo **Conflux** mode, and broad progression and balance changes. The paid expansion is priced at **$29.99**, while the base game also receives a separate free quality-of-life update. So the key distinction is that Cygames is treating the earlier “final update” as the end of planned free support, not a promise to never make more Relink content. The new charge reflects the scale, cost, and scope of a project the studio says was greenlit later in response to the game’s success.

3 articles · Updated · Gematsu · Jun 18

Granblue Fantasy: Relink – Endless Ragnarok’s demo is now live on PS5, Switch 2, PS4 and Steam, giving players access to story, quest and tutorial modes before the July 9 release.
Three playable quests support solo or cross-play co-op, and clearing them unlocks a fourth mission, “Sephira’s Sanguine Glimmer,” which introduces the new Summons battle mechanic.
The demo also updates the earlier beta by adding Seofon as a playable character, reducing the Aquila Ruby Golem’s HP and ATK, and fixing cooperative matchmaking issues.
Cygames used the release to outline Endless Ragnarok progression: clearing “The Tale of Bahamut’s Rage” opens Chaos-difficulty quests, while the new solo Conflux mode unlocks from Chapter 6 and expands through later difficulties.
Six new playable characters will join through different unlock paths, and Relink will receive a broader quality-of-life and rebalancing update, with more details set for a July 8 livestream.