Final Fantasy 14 Online will receive at least ten more years of development support that will introduce major graphical changes, gameplay tweaks, and reopen the game’s free trials from February 22.

Announced in the latest Letter from the Producer livestream , director and producer Naoki Yoshida outlined several changes coming to the MMORPG. This April, the 6.1 patch will expand the game’s Trust System to let you tackle more dungeons with NPCs rather than online players, low-level scenarios will be tweaked to better support solo play, and more quests and cosmetics will be added to the game.

Following patches will add more dungeons, cosmetics, a new dungeon type, the Myths of the Realm 24-man raid series, and the pastoral Island Sanctuary area that was first teased as part of the Endwalker expansion . The beginning of the new main scenario questline will also feature in the upcoming 6.1 patch.

Further down the line, patch 7.0 will introduce the game’s first major graphical overhaul, adding new lighting and shadow effects, animations, higher resolution textures, and more ambient effects. The game’s minimum system requirements are expected to go up, but shouldn’t be too demanding.

Yoshida emphasized that it will improve on the game’s existing art style rather than pivot it to a more photorealistic direction. There’s no word yet as to when the graphics patch will drop, but we likely won't see it until 7.0, the game's next major expansion, which is currently expected to launch sometime in late 2023 or sometime in 2024.

Before then, the game’s free trial will reopen on February 22. Both the trial and sales of Final Fantasy XIV were temporarily suspended following a surge in players and server congestion around the launch of its Endwalker expansion last December. The suspension was intended to reduce the long queue times and connectivity errors that cropped up after a huge number of new players signed up to the game.

Opening new servers across the globe has stabilized the game, letting Square Enix open it up once more.

Analysis: quite an achievement

For a developer to commit ten years of future support for any game is quite an achievement, but doubly so for one as old as Final Fantasy 14. The MMORPG was originally released on the PS3 and PC back in 2013 as a follow-up and replacement of another Square Enix title of the same name that hit stores in 2010.

It quickly garnered a following and was popular enough to be ported to PS4 and PS5 . Square Enix’s commitment to the game for the next decade only goes to show what a valuable title the publisher believes it to be. But its decision to introduce the first major graphical update to the game also demonstrates that it can’t rest on its laurels forever. If Final Fantasy 14 can’t keep up with its MMO competitors, it will shed players.

The return of its free trial is worth raving about, too, for any big Final Fantasy fan, or anyone keen to check out the series for the first time. The preview lets you play as much of the base game and the entire first expansion, Heavensward, with no restrictions on playtime. That’s potentially hundreds of hours of playtime; not a bad deal for a freebie that’ll ease you into the general Final Fantasy ethos.

If you'd rather play your JRPGs offline, pick up a PS5 copy of Final Fantasy 7 Remake .

The Book of Boba Fett episode 2 may have set up an Obi-Wan TV show villain

The Book of Boba Fett episode 2 has landed on Disney Plus – and the intriguing inclusion of a certain villain may tie the bounty hunter's TV show to another small screen Star Wars offering.

With the Star Wars TV series' first instalment setting the scene for Boba Fett's standalone adventure, its second episode further fleshes out his past as well as introducing us to some intriguing new antagonists. And one of these villains in The Mandalorian spin-off could also be a prominent bad guy in Disney's forthcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi TV show .

We're about to dive into full spoilers for The Book of Boba Fett episode 2 . If you don't want the surprise ruined for you, don't read past the image below.

In episode 2's first half, we see Boba, Fennec Shand and the former's two Gamorrean bodyguards take part in a tense face-off with Jabba the Hutt's cousins, aka The Twins.

Yep, the Hutts have arrived on Tatooine to lay claim to Jabba's old empire – but they aren't alone. Hutts don't tend to fight their own battles – it's "bad for business", as Jabba's male cousin says in episode 2 – so, just like their deceased relative, they've hired a bounty hunter to do their dirty work for them.

Except the individual in question isn't just any old bounty hunter: it's Black Krrsantan, a black-furred Wookiee who looks suitably menacing and vicious.

"Hold on, who is Black Krrsantan?" we hear you say. In Star Wars comics, Black Krrsantan is a bounty hunter whose career took off during the rule of the Galactic Empire before continuing as part of the New Republic era.

After fleeing the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk for disgracing his people, Black Krrsantan (or 'BK' to use one of his nicknames) was trained by the famous Xonti Brothers to be a gladiator, but became a bounty hunter after being sold off in an auction. It wasn't long before 'BK' became associated with Jabba the Hutt, though, and it's this 'gun for hire' working relationship that led 'BK' to track down his most formidable foe yet: Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Tasked by Jabba with tracking down the man who stopped Jabba from earning cash from his water tax policy, Black Krrsantan eventually makes his way to the moisture farm owned by Owen Lars – yep, the same Owen Lars who was tasked by Obi-Wan with keeping Luke Skywalker safe. 'BK' takes Owen hostage but, sure enough, Obi-Wan – who watches over Luke and the Lars family from the shadows – appears, dukes it out with Black Krrsantan and bests him in combat.

Well, technically 'BK' loses the fight when he falls off a cliff, but we're sure Obi-Wan would take the win either way. Knowing Jabba would be incensed at his failure to reprimand the culprit responsible for stopping the water tax, 'BK' flees Tatooine. Funnily enough, he also ends up working for Obi-Wan's former padawan, Luke's father and legendary Sith Lord Darth Vader.

So what does Black Krrsantan's appearance in episode 2 have to do with Obi-Wan's own show?

Well, Boba Fett actually references Black Krrsantan's comic backstory in episode 2. He calls 'BK' a "gladiator", before Boba goes onto say that he's "not a sleeping Trandoshan guard". This latter point is a nod to Black Krrsantan's origins story, where he kills four Trandoshans as part of his plan to convince the Xonti Brothers' underlings to take him to the duo.

With The Book of Boba Fett references Black Krrsantan's comic history, his past must be canon in the live-action Star Wars universe. If that's truly the case, and it appears to be, based on the paragraph above, 'BK' should duel Obi-Wan at some point in this universe, too.

Obi-Wan's TV show is set around 20 years before The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. Given that Black Krrsantan is alive in The Book of Boba Fett, the Wookiee must also have survived his encounter with Obi-Wan in Star Wars' live-action universe. Again, this ties into his comic book history, which confirms that he's still breathing after his duel with Obi-Wan.

What does all of this mean? Nothing concrete, but The Book of Boba Fett episode 2 does offer up the opportunity for Obi-Wan's TV show to include his fight with Black Krrsantan.

Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau, who have reinvented the Star Wars universe on Disney Plus to acclaim from fans and critics alike, haven't been shy about peppering The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett with fan service-type moments, such as 8D8's cameos in the latter series.

So why not do likewise with Obi-Wan's TV show? Yes, Darth Vader is that series' Big Bad, but why not include secondary antagonists like 'BK' and have Obi-Wan fight him, too? It would be a really fun call back to Star Wars comics, and The Book of Boba Fett fans are sure to get a kick out of seeing Black Krrsantan appear in Obi-Wan's solo adventure. We certainly would, if nothing else.

Regardless, it'll be a while until we find out either way. There's no current release date for Obi-Wan's TV series, and we suspect that we won't hear anything concrete until The Book of Boba Fett's seven-episode run ends in early February. Still, here's hoping that Black Krrsantan makes an appearance in Obi-Wan's Disney Plus show in some form.

2022 Super League live stream and how to watch rugby league online from anywhere

Super League rugby is back for 2022! It's a new-look Saints in terms of personnel, but will it be the same result? St Helens could become the first team to win four consecutive titles in the modern era, but with the Dragons, Hull KR and Leeds looking stronger, there should be plenty of twists and turns. Oh, and haven't you heard it's Warrington's year? Read on as we explain how to watch a Super League rugby live stream online for every 2022 game wherever you are.

Catalans, who won their first ever League Leaders' Shield and reached their first ever Grand Final last season, once again look best placed to challenge St Helens' dominance.

They've lost James Maloney but replaced him with Mitchell Pearce, while the Saints have seen mainstays Lachlan Coote, Kevin Naiqama, Theo Fages and James Bentley depart, with youngsters Jack Welsby and Lewis Dodd looking to step up.

Coote could help Hull KR push on to the next level, while the Rhinos finally look like a force again with the additions of Aiden Sezer, Blake Austin and Bentley, and an exciting new era begins for the Wolves under Daryl Powell.

Meanwhile, Toulouse's ascent brings something different to the league, but they've got their work cut out avoiding the drop, particularly with the departure of main man Johnathon Ford. Whatever unfolds over the coming weeks, our guide has you covered - here's how to get a Super League live stream from anywhere this season.

How to watch Super League rugby in the UK

How to watch Super League rugby from outside your country

We've recommended some of the best places to live stream Super League rugby games below. But might run into a problem trying to access them if you're outside of your country - even if you're fully registered and in all likelihood paying a subscription fee.

This is because of something called geo-blocking - best thought of as a kind of digital border - but it's not nearly as scary as it sounds and we can help you get back to your preferred rugby league live stream in no time at all.

Simply follow our VPN advice below and you'll soon be up and running with a great bit of software that allows you to relocate your device back to your country of residence - thereby regaining access to all the streaming services and content you normally enjoy at home.

Use a VPN to live stream Super League rugby anywhere

How to live stream Super League rugby FREE in Australia

How to watch 2022 Super League rugby: live stream in Canada

How to watch Super League rugby: live stream in New Zealand

Can you watch Super League rugby in the US?

Sadly there's no confirmed broadcaster for Super League rugby in the US at the time of writing. The only alternative is to use one of the best VPN service providers to tap into coverage from another nation, as described above.

The software is generally ideal for this as it allows you to change your IP address and appear to be in a completely different location - and all through a safe, encrypted connection. But do bear in mind that most paid streaming services do require a credit card based in the country the service is from.