Square Enix today revealed a glimpse of the new Chocobo Circuit feature from its upcoming Final Fantasy XI expansion, Treasures of Aht Urhgan, and it looks something like a cross between the pod-racer arenas from the recent Star Wars Episode I movie and the chocobo races from Final Fantasy VII.
While the first screens don't actually reflect any of this, Square has said that how you raise your bird will determine its size and shape, and ultimately its stats. By introducing your chocobo to a friend's bird, provided they are compatible and of the opposite sex, it's possible that you can even breed more chocobos as well.
Many questions still remain in regards to this new feature, which is among the most highly requested additions to FFXI. Where will you keep your chocobo (will players have individual instanced stables, similar to their mog houses)? How often can you breed? Where will you be able to sell chocobos? And most importantly, will you be able to ride your own chocobo around Vana'diel? What we do know is that players will have some time to get up to speed on taking care of their birds.
The Chocobo Circuit isn't scheduled to go live until later in the year (the Circuit will be patched in sometime in Fall it seems), giving chocobo-breeders at least a four month head start to get crackin' on their skill sets. It's uncertain as to whether FFXI will support a league, with rankings and the best chocobo racers (making it more competitive, like Ballista), but for now, just take a look at the screens we've collected and consider the possibilities.
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