What you need to know
Exciting news was unveiled at the Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival 2023 in London, revealing details about the highly anticipated 5th expansion, Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail. The event showcased new player Jobs, information about the 24-player Alliance Raid, the release date for the Xbox open beta test, and more. Fans can anticipate the release of Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail in the summer of 2024 for Xbox Series XS, PlayStation 4 and 5, and PC.
Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival 2023 London: Key Announcements
The second Fan Festival for Final Fantasy XIV in 2023 took place in London on October 21, where Square Enix presented an exclusive trailer and highlighted the features of Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail, the 5th expansion. The event featured significant announcements, including the reveal of a new Melee DPS Job called Viper, details about the new areas Kozama’uka and Shaaloani, the introduction of the Allied Tribe, Moblins, and a sneak peek at the dungeons and bosses players can expect to encounter in Dawntrail. Additionally, the event introduced the Echoes of Vana’Diel Alliance Raid, unveiled a new Limited Job, announced the Xbox open beta test date, and revealed exciting collaborations with Fall Guys and Final Fantasy XVI.
New Melee DPS Job: Viper
One of the major announcements pertained to the reveal of Viper, a unique Melee DPS Job exclusively created for Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail. Viper wields a pair of swords that combine into a double-bladed staff. While Viper is an original Job not based on any previous Final Fantasy character, fans may notice similarities to Zidane from Final Fantasy IX, who uses similar weapons. Details about the new Ranged Caster DPS Job will be disclosed during the FFXIV Fan Festival event in Tokyo on January 7, 2024.
New areas: Kozama’uka and Shaaloani
Players can look forward to exploring two new areas in Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail. Kozama’uka is a lush jungle region with stunning tropical forests, winding rivers, and indigenous tribes. Shaaloani, on the other hand, is an arid land featuring desert plains and a railway system designed to transport Ceruleum deposits.
New Allied Tribe: Moblins
The upcoming expansion will introduce a new Allied Tribe known as the Moblins, similar to the Goblins. The Moblins reside in the jungle of Kozama’uka and are known for their gathering and trading skills. Players proficient in the Gatherer and Crafter Jobs can partake in quests provided by the Moblins.
New boss and dungeons
A sneak peek at the dungeons and bosses in Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail was also revealed during the Fan Festival. Players can expect to encounter diverse landscapes such as tropical jungles, mountains with mystical creatures, and ancient ruins. Among the new bosses, the Eliminator, a colossal mechanical war machine, stood out.
New Alliance Raid: Echoes of Vana’Diel
Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail will introduce a 24-player Alliance Raid series called Echoes of Vana’Diel, which is a collaboration with the first MMORPG of the Final Fantasy series, Final Fantasy XI. The plot and content of this Raid series will be unveiled at a later date, building anticipation for this unique crossover.
New Limited Job
During the later half of Dawntrail’s post-launch patch series, a new Limited Job will be added. Limited Jobs provide their own exclusive quests and content separate from regular Jobs. The Blue Mage is currently the only Limited Job available in Final Fantasy XIV, introduced in the Stormblood expansion.
Xbox Open Beta Test date
Square Enix has announced that the open beta test for the Xbox version of Final Fantasy XIV will take place between January and February 2024. This provides an exciting opportunity for Xbox players to experience the world of Final Fantasy XIV before the official release of Dawntrail.
FFXIV x Fall Guys Collab
Final Fantasy XIV fans can look forward to a surprising collaboration with Fall Guys. The Fall Guys mini-games will be integrated into the Manderville Gold Saucer on October 31, 2023, with the release of FFXIV’s Patch 6.51 update. Completing these mini-games will grant players special prizes, adding a fun twist to the gaming experience.
Final Fantasy XVI Crossover
A limited-time crossover event between Final Fantasy XIV and Final Fantasy XVI is on the horizon. Titled “The Path Infernal,” this event will enable players to team up with Clive, the protagonist of Final Fantasy XVI, and face off against its version of Ifrit, a recurring fire-based Summon monster in the Final Fantasy franchise. This collaboration builds excitement for both games.
Cloud Data Center Stress Test
Square Enix is offering players the chance to partake in a stress test for cloud data centers, which will be implemented in Final Fantasy XIV. The stress test is scheduled from November 21-27, 2023, in the North American (East Coast) Data Centers. Players worldwide can participate, although they must create new characters specifically for this test, as the characters will be deleted after its completion. To assist participants, Tales of Adventure Items for the Main Scenario Quests and every Job up until Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers, as well as 50,000,000 Gil, will be provided.
Conclusion
Exciting times lie ahead for Final Fantasy XIV as the release date for Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail draws near. Fans eagerly anticipate discovering new adventures within the expansion, including the revelation of the Magical Ranged DPS Job. Stay tuned for further updates on this highly acclaimed PC game during Final Fantasy XIV’s next Fan Festival in Tokyo on January 7, 2024.
