The eagerly anticipated Final Fantasy XIV Patch 7.4 has been fully unveiled by Game Director Naoki Yoshida and Community Producer Toshio Murouchi, promising a wealth of exciting content. Following the conclusion of Dawntrail, this new patch marks a significant step towards the upcoming 8.0 expansion. The highlight for many players is the substantial overhaul of the glamour system, finally removing long-standing restrictions. Here’s a comprehensive summary of all the key announcements from Final Fantasy XIV Live Letter 89.
As this is our initial glimpse at the upcoming Final Fantasy XIV update, there were no in-game demonstrations today, but we were treated to numerous teaser images. It seems Dawntrail’s narrative, though initially met with mixed reactions, successfully won over many with its recent patches, and its combat content has been exceptionally well-received. Pilgrim’s Traverse proved to be a strong inaugural trial for the new variable difficulty systems, and now it’s time to see if that momentum continues.
‘Yoshi-P’ shared reflections on the past decade and the feedback from Pilgrim’s Traverse, emphasizing his commitment to strengthening FF14’s standing as one of the best MMORPGs around. Today’s announcements included the next raid tier, updates to Occult Crescent and Cosmic Exploration, enhancements to duty support, and the continuation of the Hildibrand questline, alongside a brand new Variant Dungeon. Crucially, players can also look forward to much-requested structural and scheduling adjustments, crowned by a complete transformation of the glamour system.
Before diving into the new content, a preceding update is on the horizon. FF14 patch 7.38 is scheduled to launch on Tuesday, November 11. This patch will eliminate the weekly reward limit for the latest savage raid tier, enable the exchange of Ordelle and Montiont coins from the Dawntrail alliance raids for Evercharged Ester (used to upgrade tomestone Historia weapons), and introduce an additional furnishing item into coffers from the Return to Ivalice encounters.
The eagerly awaited FF14 7.4 release date is Tuesday, December 16. Final Fantasy 14 patch 7.4 is officially titled ‘Into the Mist.’ Yoshida explained that the year-end timing necessitated extra time for scheduling. Due to past frustrations surrounding Christmas Day raid launches, the Arcadion Heavyweight (Savage) tier will instead debut on Tuesday, January 6. Yoshida noted the extensive discussions on this, acknowledging that the Western community often spends Christmas holidays with family, and a raid launch during that period could lead to significant player dissatisfaction.
Naturally, a significant portion of the patch will be dedicated to the new Main Scenario Quest (MSQ), which Yoshida described as “the first step of the new plot line.” He teased that “7.5 is also packed, and we hope you enjoy this new arc.” While the story progresses beyond Dawntrail, it appears we’ll still be exploring elements of Living Memory, with more classic Final Fantasy references anticipated.
The new dungeon, ‘Mistwake,’ continues the Final Fantasy IX themes with a setting strongly resembling Treno, a city in Alexandria. The new trial is ‘Hell on Rails,’ where players will confront FF8’s iconic Doomtrain, or its equivalent. Yoshida humorously referred to it as “A dark Thomas,” and when pressed by Murouchi on the combat dynamics, he simply replied, “It will be all over the place – I think it’s good if you pay attention to the model, there might be things growing.”
Occult Crescent is expanding with three new phantom jobs: Mystic Knight, Dancer, and Gladiator. Additionally, players can discover “beneficial accessories” in critical encounters, treasure chests, magic pots, and from happy bunnies. These accessories, four pieces for Disciples of War and four for Disciples of Magic, will provide attribute boosts within the zone.
Phantom weapons will now be upgradable to item level 775, with necessary materials available “from various duties, including the Occult Crescent.” Yoshida mentioned that the team is re-evaluating future weapon progression. “When we consider the weapon series after this one, we might completely change it; this might be the last time for this kind of upgrade system.”
Our next destination for Cosmic Exploration is Oizys, a fragmented, rocky world reminiscent of Elden Ring’s Crumbling Farum Azula. Yoshida hinted, “There used to be something on this planet, a civilization that found its end, and obviously it messed with gravity.” Expect cosmic tool upgrades to item level 765, along with more rewards from cosmocredits and the cosmic fortune wheel. A new appraisal system called ‘Ruin Exploration’ will also be introduced.
The new Variant Dungeon, ‘The Merchant’s Tale,’ will transport players into a magical tome to explore a vibrant fantasy world. This dungeon promises to be incredibly colorful, possibly even surpassing Shadowbringers’ Pixie playground Lyhe Mheg. Players will be accompanied by a Miqo’te gleaner and can tackle the dungeon with one to four players. Bonus duty actions will compensate for group gaps, and the challenge will adapt to the number of participants.
As with previous Variant Dungeons, players will encounter numerous choices that alter their route through the region, each leading to a different final outcome. Historically, Variant Dungeons have hidden intriguing lore relevant to later main story content, so players will undoubtedly be sifting through every detail for hints about future developments. A welcome addition this time is the ability to level jobs from 90 within this content.
Continuing the trend of adaptable difficulty, Square Enix is introducing an intermediary step before the Criterion Dungeon: ‘Variant Dungeon (Advanced).’ This mode allows players to challenge all three boss battles from the base version in any desired order. Personal rewards, specific to each enemy, will be earned for every defeat, and players can choose to stop after a single fight. However, defeating all bosses in one run will yield a bonus payout.
This new advanced form requires at least two players, as Yoshida stated it was deemed unsuitable for solo play, but it will scale up to four. Yoshida explained, “We’ve made a lot of content and of course savage is high-end, but we’ve always had the request to be allowed to practice individual phases.” He added, “We thought for this advanced Variant Dungeon, since we already have the three bosses anyway, we might add this feature.”
Upon reaching the Criterion Dungeon, players will face their ultimate challenge. There’s no exploration; instead, all three bosses must be fought in a specific order, possessing “increased strength and more punishing mechanics.” Trash mobs are absent, revival methods are limited, and a traditional party composition of one tank, one healer, and two DPS is required unless players are in a pre-formed group.
These updates appear to be excellent responses to feedback from Endwalker’s Variant Dungeons, though the rewards will need to be equally compelling to ensure player retention. The new glamour options (previewed below) are almost certainly going to be an instant hit, as is a flying carpet mount, though Yoshida provided no further details at this time.
Elsewhere in Patch 7.4, players will find the new Arcadion Heavyweight tier, the concluding chapter of the eight-player raid series. This features a Gladiator-style “death match” against an imposing Elezen, whom Yoshida humorously referred to as “evil Urianger,” noting he “definitely gives off champion vibes.” The fourth of five planned acts for the Inconceivably Further Hildibrand Adventures will also arrive. The next Unreal trial is Tsukuyomi, continuing the trend of modernizing classic Stormblood fights. Furthermore, Duty Support will be extended to two notoriously challenging optional A Realm Reborn dungeons: Dzemael Darkhold and Aurum Vale.
Yoshida recounted a friend’s recent struggle with Aurum Vale, asking, “What am I supposed to do as a healer in Aurum Vale?” In response, he revealed a welcome new feature coming to Duty Support across the board, designed to prevent instant wipes. Players will now gain protection stacks upon dying against a boss. These stacks, similar to those used in eight-player trials with NPCs, will shield against a single fatal blow and reset upon defeating the boss.
Two new UI color schemes, green and white, are on their way, and the much-anticipated ‘Strategy Board’ (an official raid planner tool) will finally launch with 7.4. Tired of filling your hotbars with emotes? The new ‘Command Panel’ offers a four-page setup with 25 slots each, allowing players to assign anything normally placed on a hotbar. Each page can be toggled behind a single button, significantly reducing HUD clutter.
The Gold Saucer is also receiving attention, with a new Air Force One track featuring a showdown against the Kraken, a familiar foe from dungeons like Hullbreaker Isle. In PvP, Series Ten will commence alongside various balance changes (details to follow closer to release) and an additional Frontline map with new rules.
Yoshida reserved the most significant announcement for last. “I did release a post about the modding community a few weeks ago, and I get that FF is changing over time, and I do want everyone to enjoy the game.” The long-awaited change has arrived: players can now use any gear for glamour, “irrespective of class, job, or level restrictions.” This means a Dark Knight can don White Mage robes, or a Dragoon can wear gatherer gear – the creative possibilities are truly limitless.
While housing updates will arrive in Patch 7.5, this is undoubtedly a monumental win for the player base. Yoshida concluded by expressing the team’s eagerness to introduce more open-world field content, a prospect many players would welcome. Overall, Live Letter 89 strongly demonstrates that Square Enix is actively listening to player feedback, which is incredibly exciting for the future of Final Fantasy XIV.
Final Fantasy 14 patch 7.4, ‘Into the Mist,’ is set to release on Tuesday, December 16. It promises to be a busy and exciting holiday season for FF14 players. Special thanks, as always, to ‘Miuna’ and ‘iluna minori’ on the FF14 Discord for their live translation of the presentation.
To ensure your raid group doesn’t miss a single callout in the Heavyweight savage tier, consider upgrading to the best gaming headset available. It’s also wise to keep an eye on the FF14 server status and maintenance times to know exactly when you can jump back into the action.
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