The release date for the upcoming Dawntrail expansion for Final Fantasy XIV was finally revealed during Pax East 2024. Set for a release date on Early Access on June 28th, Patch 7.0 turns a new page for the ever-increasing storyline of the game but also promises to bring big changes and even more content for the critically acclaimed MMO.
Early Access starts on June 28th, as the full game releases on July 2nd. While they originally planned for a release date one week early, they ultimately set on pushing it back a while to avoid competing with the upcoming Elden Ring DLC Shadow of the Erdtree. Probably the best move Square has made in a while.
Image via Square Enix
Image via Square Enix
Preorders begin on March 26th at 9:00 AM GMT and allow players to enter Early Access. They also get various Final Fantasy 9-themed items from it, such as the Wind-up Zidane Minion and Azeyma’s Earrings. The Collector’s Edition continues with the Ark mount (based on an Eidolon from FF9), the Wind-up Garnet Minion, and the Chocobo Brush for the Pictomancer.
System requirements have been also slightly altered from what was been previously announced. This is probably due to the showcased graphical updates we’ll be receiving. If you haven’t upgraded your computer yet, this is the time to do it.
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Screenshot by Prima Games
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Image via Square Enix
During the presentation, game director Naoki Yoshida reminisced about all previous expansions and what kind of content was implemented in each of them. The team has come a long way since A Realm Reborn, and while not all changes have been well received by the whole community, they’ve learned a lot in the process.
And that’s why they aim to introduce changes following feedback from the community. Complaints such as the exaggerated huge hitboxes for bosses (more prominent in Raids and Trials) or the repetitiveness of the content have been brought to attention. Many of these will be added during the expansion in one way or another as they aim to bring a more fulfilling experience for all new and older players.
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Screenshot by Prima Games
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Image via Prima Games
We can expect more content than ever, as they promised we would get up to 1.5 more content compared to previous expansions. I’m personally hoping for more diverse content that we can enjoy alongside more players, as Endwalker has been, as they have mentioned, a pretty single-player-focused experience.
Dawntrail will feature a whole new region with Tural, introducing the new DPS jobs Viper and Pictomancer alongside tons of new content, including Dungeons, Alliance Raids, Savage Raids, Trials, Beast Tribe, and much more. We can expect bigger reveals as we approach the release date, so stay tuned!
