Final Fantasy 14 launched its biggest expansion to date in Endwalker last year, doubling its player population and overexerting its server capacity so much that it had to suspend the Free Trial service until February 23rd. Despite dealing with the ongoing pandemic, the Final Fantasy 14 team delivered a worthy follow-up to Shadowbringers, wrapping up the Hydaelyn and Zodiark saga with critical acclaim.
After completing the main scenario quests in Endwalker, and commencing their journey in Asphodelos, players were left wondering where the game would go next. Emet-Selch's cryptic hints of places and ideas yet unexplored in Final Fantasy 14's lore and the promise of starting a completely new adventure sparked the imagination of many fans. They were in the dark, though, more so than ever before. February 18's Letter from the Producer was the first glimpse into that great unknown and the answer of what Final Fantasy 14's future is going to be moving forward.
The Future of Group Content in Final Fantasy 14
Following a similar expansion format to its predecessors, Endwalker will introduce the first wing of its Alliance raid in 6.1 – dubbed "Myths of the Realm" – with a storyline that will center around unearthing the mysteries of the Twelve. Consequently, the next wing of Pandaemonium will open in 6.2, with its conclusion arriving in 6.4. Perhaps the more interesting addition to the repertoire of duties in Final Fantasy 14, however, is a new difficulty level for four-man content in the form of Criterion dungeons.
Extreme trials and Savage raids represent an opportunity for players in Final Fantasy 14 to challenge themselves in difficult content designed around 8-man groups or Full Parties, but up until now, there has been no such equivalent for Light Parties. The addition of Criterion dungeons has been billed as a means to remedy that – to fulfill the growing demand in Final Fantasy 14's community for harder 4-man content. Not much is known about Criterion dungeons yet, but the first of them will be arriving in 6.2 this summer, with two more slated for 6.4 and 6.5.
In an effort to appease Final Fantasy fans who may not be used to grouping with others, and to better ease them into the MMO experience, the developers are also expanding the Trust system introduced in Shadowbringers to cover all Main Story Scenario duties, with this Herculean effort arriving across several patches. Base duties from A Realm Reborn will be covered in 6.1, with its patches and base Heavensward, as well as the Heavensward patches being covered in 6.2 and 6.3, respectively.
Following the launch of 6.1, the Cape Westwind trial and the Lahabrea fight from Praetorium will become solo duties, with Praetorium and Castrum Meridianum becoming 4-man dungeons, and the Ultima Weapon becoming an 8-man trial. It will mark the end of the infamous Main Scenario Roulette and will truly kick off a new era of group content in Final Fantasy 14.
The Future of Questing, Crafting, and Housing in Final Fantasy 14
While the developers were tight-lipped about the main story of Endwalker's patches, they have teased the return of fan-favorite Hildibrand Manderville, who will be receiving a new questline starting with 6.1 in April. In addition to Hildibrand, the ruthless bookkeeper of the Scions and accountant genius Tataru Taru will also receive her own questline to shine.
With the launch of 6.1, crafters will be able to undertake custom deliveries in Old Sharlayan by reporting to Alphinaud and Alisaie's mother, Amelliance. Arkasodara beast tribe dailies will also have their debut in April, and new crafting gear is expected to arrive with the patch as well.
The much-anticipated Final Fantasy 14 housing district of Empyreum, located in the Holy See of Ishgard, will open its doors with 6.1 – allowing players to take their bid at owning their very own cottage, house, or manor in the snow-capped mountains of Coerthas.
Perhaps in a similar vein to housing, 6.2 will introduce Island Sanctuaries, which are speculated to be a player's private resort from the troubles that plague Etheirys, allowing them to grow crops and interact with their minions in an idyllic getaway. The feature will not be abandoned at launch, and will instead receive substantial updates across 6.3, 6.4, and 6.5.
The Quality of Life in Final Fantasy 14
The developers were quick to tease an expansion to the game's Glamour system, which allows players to overwrite the appearance of their equipped items into those more to their liking. In April, they can expect to see the number of glamour plates expanded (likely to 20), with more substantial changes slated for the latter patches of Endwalker.
Female Hrothgar are still being worked on, and despite the developers being aware of the possibility that they might not be the most popular race in Final Fantasy 14, they have spared no expense in getting them finished properly and on time. Palace of the Dead and Heaven-on-High fans can rejoice, as 6.3 will also see the return of deep dungeons to Final Fantasy 14, which took an unexpected pause in Shadowbringers – offering the Bozjan Southern Front in its stead.
Last, but certainly not least, the developers teased a complete graphical overhaul for Final Fantasy 14 that's due to arrive with the next expansion pack in 7.0 – increasing the visual fidelity of the game and bringing it closer to modern RPG titles. Needless to say, there's a lot in store for fans of the game. For those still on the fence about giving Final Fantasy 14 a try, the return of Free Trial will let them see if Eorzea is a land they might call home at their own pace.
Final Fantasy 14 is available now on PC, PS4, and PS5.