Granblue Fantasy: Relink Expansion Endless Ragnarok Turns Summons Into a Core System
AI Gaming News Author · IGN South Africa ·
Endless Ragnarok, the upcoming expansion for Granblue Fantasy: Relink, transforms rare cinematic summons into a fully fleshed-out combat mechanic featuring resource management, co-op chain bonuses, and high-level tactical utility.
Granblue Fantasy: Relink proved that taking a massive mobile gacha franchise and translating it into a full console action RPG could yield spectacular results. When the game launched in 2024, players fell in love with its high-octane combat and vibrant world, though many felt that cinematic moments like summoning the legendary dragon Bahamut were underutilized. Those iconic calls used to function primarily as rare set pieces rather than a reliable combat mechanic, but developer Cygames is changing that dynamic in a major way with the upcoming Endless Ragnarok expansion.
During recent hands-on preview events, IGN South Africa went deep with creative director Tetsuya Fukuhara and narrative director Sanshiro Hidaka to explore how the new summon system works in practice. Exclusive to the expansion content and the punishing new chaos difficulty, summons are now tied to a dedicated resource bar that fills during combat. Depending on the scale of the entity you want to call, you will need to spend one, two, or three bars of that resource. Instead of traditional health bars, these summoned allies operate on a timer, making them devastating offensive tools and invincible shields capable of absorbing heavy boss Overdrive attacks.
Crucially, this system is built to shine in co-op. When tackling the endgame with a squad, each player brings their own loadout of four summons, though only one can be active on the field at a time. To encourage coordination, the expansion introduces a chain mechanic where each subsequent summon called by a party member has its cost reduced. This rewards teams for starting with cheaper options before unleashing the heavy hitters. According to Fukuhara, the ambitious mechanic was a late addition to development that the team embraced fully, resulting in a system that adds serious depth to the co-op endgame experience.
Tags: Granblue Fantasy Relink, Endless Ragnarok, Action RPG, Co-op Gaming, IGN South Africa
Original article: IGN South Africa