Greetings, everyone!
With the Manderville Gold Saucer launching in Patch 2.51 on Tuesday we figured now is the perfect time to share some more details with you in a two-part series!

Chocobo Racing, Triple Triad, GATEs, mini-games, and the Cactpot - the Manderville Gold Saucer has got it all!

Upon your first visit to the Gold Saucer you can take part in a quest ("World of Wonders") that offers you a full tour of the area. When you're done, you should have a good idea of what's in store for you! If you just can't decide what to do first, I highly recommend starting with this quest.

Today we'll be talking a bit about chocobo racing, GATEs, and the mini-games that await adventurers when they visit the Gold Saucer.

Chocobo Racing
With the new chocobo racing feature, you can not only race, but also breed and raise your very own chocobo!

Your chocobo will develop as you race and feed them, so you can lovingly train your feathered friend to be a racer that leaves the competition in their dust! When you're racing, be sure to give it your all and take advantage of the various abilities, bonuses, and items located through the course!

GATEs (Gold Saucer Active Time Events)
I'm sure you may have guessed from the name, but you can consider that GATEs are special FATEs that take place within the Gold Saucer.

Just like FATEs, these events pop up in various locations in the Gold Saucer. You may be tasked with hauling luggage, helping out minions, finding imps, dancing and dodging certain nasal eruptions...

Announcements will be made throughout the building, so you don't need to worry about missing out on these events if you're playing other games. Be sure to try out the GATEs!

Here's a peek at the "Any Way the Wind Blows" GATE that features Typhon. See if you can predict where Typhon will appear and maybe you can avoid his big sneeze!

Mini-Games
The Gold Saucer also hosts several mini-games that you can enjoy whenever you have some free time.

There are four different mini-games for adventurers to challenge: Monster Toss, Crystal Tower Striker, The Moogle's Paw and Cuff-a-Cur. All of these are easy to play and can be cleared in a short amount of time, so give them a shot!

That's it for part 1!
Stay tuned for the second half, where we'll be introducing Triple Triad, the classic card game from FFVIII, and the Cactpot, your ticket to a potential fortune!

- Bayohne