With the new year event, festivities, and free draws on the horizon, players' excitement is increasing. Players are looking forward to all the loot and goodies the developers will be giving away to celebrate the brand new year.
Moreover, there will be new weapons and gear for two iconic and favorite characters in Final Fantasy VII: Cloud and Sephiroth. These two new weapons and gears will provide event bonuses during the campaign, increasing the players' yield per battle concerning exchange materials.
Additionally, this marks the introduction of a step-up banner, in addition to the already established stamp mechanic in the game. Details have been revealed via a leak ahead of the banner drop.
Here's an overview of the step-up banner and its steps:
- Step 1: One or more 4* or Higher Weapons Guaranteed for Free! (Free 10 Draws)
- Step 2: One or More 4* or Higher Weapons Guaranteed (1000 Red Crystals - 10 Draws)
- Step 3: Only 4* or Higher Weapons Appear! (2000 Red Crystals - 10 Draws) Bonus: 5 Mythril Ores
- Step 4: Only 4* or Higher Weapons Appear! One or More 5* Weapons Guaranteed (3000 Red Crystals - 10 Draws) Bonus: 10 Mythril Ores
Players can only use Red Crystals to do the remaining steps, excluding Step 1, which is free for everyone. Red Crystals can only be obtained using Real World Money, so Free To Play players can't benefit from the Step Up Banner. To complete all the steps, 6,000 Red Crystals are needed, and 12,000 are required for two loops.
If players choose to spend a bit of money to complete the steps, the draw offers good value for money as it might provide the newest equipment and Ore for uncapping favorite weapons, a rare resource in the game.
For those curious about the real-world cost, here are the available Red Crystal Boost Packs for purchase:
- Crystal Boost Pack A - $7.99, 1200 red / 360 blue
- Crystal Boost Pack B - $19.99, 3200 red / 1280 blue
- Crystal Boost Pack C - $69.99, 10800 red / 5400 blue (3x each)
At $70, you would have enough for one loop plus some Blue Crystals to spend on a non-paid draw or banner. However, it's insufficient to complete all the steps in the 2nd loop if you wish to attempt another one. You'd only be able to reach Step 3. Therefore, spend your money wisely, perhaps utilizing any Christmas money you may have received.
One important note: the step-up banner does not include a wishlist, stamps, or featured weapons (all weapons have an equal chance/no 1% weapons). Thus, don't expect to benefit from the stamp and wishlist alongside the step-up mechanic as they are two different types of draws.
This encompasses all the information available regarding the New Year Step Up Draw for now. Stay tuned as we'll review the new weapons and gear once more information becomes available. Make sure to follow the site for more Final Fantasy Ever Crisis news and content.
