After finishing the original Granblue Fantasy: Relink, I was left hungry for more. Something about the experience made me want to keep progressing and push further into the endgame when it first released in 2024. All of this was satiated when Cygames dropped a whole new expansion during the Partner Direct for Nintendo back in February.
Granblue Fantasy: Relink – Endless Ragnarök is slated for release in the middle of this year, and I couldn’t be more excited about the news. Fortunately, I had the chance to get a sneak peek through the Closed Beta Test, which ran from March 13 to 16, 2026.
The beta offered two options: a tutorial mode—perfect for newcomers who want to experience everything Granblue has to offer—and a quest mode that came pre-loaded with three distinct gameplay scenarios. These included two boss fights and one mission that required players to clear waves of enemy mobs.
The first boss encounter featured Gerasene, which primarily tests players’ positioning to avoid its area-of-effect attacks. It’s fast, intense, and at times overwhelming, making it feel like everything is coming at you all at once.
The second boss encounter pits players against Blizzadile, an ice crocodile-like creature that emphasizes agility and quick reactions to its attacks. Of course, with a well-coordinated party, even challenging boss fights can feel manageable and go down smoothly.
The quests are engaging right from the start, and playing through them feels nostalgic, especially for someone who spent a significant amount of time grinding the base game.
Matchmaking was smooth, with everything connecting seamlessly. Players can choose to team up with friends, join random players online, or go solo with NPCs filling out the party. Combat remains rock-solid, even on the Steam Deck, and the beta offers a selection of pre-built characters. Each one brings a unique fighting style and strategic approach, helping to keep the gameplay fresh and far from repetitive.
Although the town and characters remain the same as in the base game, the Closed Beta clearly feels like a stress test for online systems. That said, it already shows a lot of promise, and I’m eager to see everything the full expansion has to offer. The livestream also teased a substantial amount of content, suggesting that Endless Ragnarök will deliver a meaningful addition for players.
Granblue Fantasy: Relink – Endless Ragnarök launches on July 9 for Nintendo Switch 2, PC, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5, with full cross-play support.
