The latest major update for Final Fantasy 14, Patch 7.4, has been fully revealed by game director Naoki Yoshida (‘Yoshi-P’) and community producer Toshio Murouchi, bringing a wealth of exciting content. Following the conclusion of Dawntrail’s story, this new patch marks the initial steps towards the highly anticipated 8.0 expansion. This update is shaping up to be one of the most significant overhauls in recent memory, notably including the long-awaited removal of glamour restrictions. Here’s a comprehensive summary of everything shown during Final Fantasy 14 Live Letter 89.
As this was the first detailed look at the upcoming update, there were no in-game demonstrations. However, plenty of captivating images were shared to tease players. Dawntrail’s story has successfully regained player favor with its recent patches, and its combat content has been exceptional. Pilgrim’s Traverse proved to be a strong introduction to the new variable difficulty systems, and now the team aims to build on that success.
‘Yoshi-P’ reflected on the past decade and the feedback from Pilgrim’s Traverse, emphasizing his commitment to strengthening Final Fantasy 14’s position as one of the premier MMORPGs. The Live Letter covered the next raid tier, updates to Occult Crescent and Cosmic Exploration, improvements to duty support and Hildibrand quests, a new Variant Dungeon, and crucial adjustments to the game’s structure and schedule, highlighted by a complete transformation of the glamour system.
A video summary of the Live Letter 89 presentation was also shown, detailing the upcoming features.
Before the main event, an additional update is on its way. Patch 7.38 is scheduled to launch on Tuesday, November 11. It will remove the weekly limit on savage rewards for the latest raid tier, allow players to exchange Ordelle and Montiont coins from the Dawntrail alliance raids for Evercharged Ester to upgrade tomestone Historia weapons, and introduce another furnishing item into coffers from the Return to Ivalice encounters.
The official release date for Patch 7.4 is Tuesday, December 16, and it’s titled ‘Into the Mist.’ Yoshida explained, “It is the end of the year so we felt like we had to give a bit more time for scheduling.” Due to past frustrations surrounding Christmas Day raid launches, the Arcadion Heavyweight tier (Savage) will instead launch on Tuesday, January 6. Yoshida noted, “We discussed this a lot. Especially the western community spends their Christmas holidays with family, and we thought if we made them sacrifice family for raiding that might become a whole shit storm.”
Naturally, a significant portion of the patch will be dedicated to the new Main Scenario Quest (MSQ), which Yoshida describes 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 moving past Dawntrail, players can expect to spend more time in Living Memory, with additional classic Final Fantasy nods.
The new dungeon, ‘Mistwake,’ appears to continue Final Fantasy 9 themes with a setting reminiscent of Treno, a city in Alexandria. The trial, ‘Hell on Rails,’ will see players battling FF8’s iconic Doomtrain, or its equivalent. Yoshida jokingly referred to it as “A dark Thomas,” and when pressed on the fight mechanics, he cryptically responded, “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 will introduce three new phantom jobs: Mystic Knight, Dancer, and Gladiator. Players can also find “beneficial accessories” in critical encounters, treasure chests, magic pots, and from happy bunnies. These accessories include four pieces each for Disciples of War and Disciples of Magic, providing attribute boosts within the zone.
Phantom weapons can be upgraded to item level 775, with required materials obtainable from various duties, including the Occult Crescent. Yoshida mentioned the team is re-evaluating future weapon progression, stating, “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.”
The new destination for Cosmic Exploration is Oizys, a fragmented, rocky world that evokes the feel 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.” Cosmic tool upgrades to item level 765 will be available, alongside more rewards from cosmocredits and the cosmic fortune wheel. A new appraisal system, Ruin Exploration, is also being added.
The new Variant Dungeon, ‘The Merchant’s Tale,’ transports players into a magical tome to explore a vibrant fantasy world, potentially even more colorful than Shadowbringers’ Lyhe Mheg. Players will be joined by a Miqo’te gleaner and can tackle it with one to four players. Bonus duty actions will compensate for group gaps, and the challenge will scale with the number of participants.
As with previous Variant Dungeons, players will encounter numerous choices that alter their route and lead to different final outcomes. Given that past Variant Dungeons have contained significant lore relevant to later main story content, players will likely delve deep into every detail for hints about future developments. This update will also allow players to level jobs from 90, a welcome feature.
Continuing the trend of adaptable difficulty, a new intermediary step, ‘Variant Dungeon (Advanced),’ will bridge the gap before the Criterion Dungeon. This mode allows players to challenge all three boss battles from the base version in any desired order. Personal rewards, specific to each enemy, are earned for every defeated foe, and players can stop after a single fight. Defeating all bosses in one run, however, yields a bonus payout.
This advanced form requires at least two players, as the team deemed it 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. We thought for this advanced Variant Dungeon, since we already have the three bosses anyway, we might add this feature.”
Reaching the Criterion Dungeon will present the toughest challenge yet, with no exploration. Players must confront all three bosses in a specific order, featuring increased strength and more punishing mechanics. There are no trash mobs, revival methods are limited, and a traditional one tank, one healer, two DPS composition is required unless in a pre-formed party.
These changes seem to be excellent responses to feedback received during Endwalker’s Variant Dungeons. The rewards, including new glamour options and a flying carpet mount, are likely to be instant hits, though Yoshida offered no further details for now.
Patch 7.4 also includes the new Arcadion Heavyweight tier, the final part of the eight-player raid series. This features a Gladiator-style “death match” and 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. Duty support will be implemented for two notoriously challenging optional A Realm Reborn dungeons: Dzemael Darkhold and Aurum Vale.
Yoshida shared a friend’s recent struggle with Aurum Vale, asking, “What am I supposed to do as a healer in Aurum Vale?” He then revealed another welcome duty support feature: protection stacks for boss encounters. Each time a character dies against a boss, they gain protection stacks, similar to those used in eight-player trials with NPCs. These stacks protect against a single fatal blow and reset upon defeating the boss.
Two new UI color schemes, green and white, are coming, along with the ‘Strategy Board,’ an official raid planning tool. For players whose hotbars are overflowing with emotes, the new ‘Command Panel’ offers a four-page setup with 25 slots each, assignable with anything normally placed on a hotbar. Each page can be hidden behind a single button, significantly reducing HUD clutter.
The Gold Saucer is also receiving attention with a new Air Force One track, where players will face off against the Kraken, a familiar boss from dungeons like Hullbreaker Isle. For PvP enthusiasts, series ten will kick off with balance changes (details to follow closer to release) and a new Frontline map featuring a fresh set of rules.
Yoshida saved the biggest news for last: the highly anticipated removal of glamour restrictions. He mentioned releasing a post about the modding community weeks prior, stating his desire for everyone to enjoy the game as it evolves. Now, players can use any gear for glamour, “irrespective of class, job, or level restrictions.” This means a Dark Knight can wear White Mage robes, or a Dragoon can don gatherer gear – the creative possibilities are truly limitless.
While housing updates are slated for Patch 7.5, this glamour change is undoubtedly a huge win for the community. Yoshida concluded by expressing the team’s eagerness to add more open-world field content, which would be a welcome addition. Overall, Live Letter 89 clearly demonstrates Square Enix’s commitment to listening to player feedback, making this a very exciting time for Final Fantasy 14.
Final Fantasy 14 Patch 7.4, ‘Into the Mist,’ is set to release on Tuesday, December 16. It promises to be a busy holiday season in Eorzea!