GamerEscape

Day 2 of the North American Fan Fest is underway and while some players are still in awe about yesterday’s first details on the Dawntrail expansion announcement, there’s a lot that still stands between today and the release of 7.0. Some of that was shown off during today’s Letter from the Producer LIVE 78. As always, we have all the information right here for you incase you missed anything! As an additional reminder, this is only the first part of the 6.5 Live Letter and we will get more information – as well as a release date – in a in a few weeks!

As with prior .5 patches, this one will again be split into two parts, both including Main Scenario Quests. The picture below shows the currently planned release window for the 6.5x patch cycle.

What’s to Come in Patch 6.5

• New Main Scenario Quests, Growing Light Part 1
• Splendorous Tools (Patch 6.51)
• New Dungeon
  • The Lunar Subterrane
• New Trials
  • The Abyssal Fracture
  • The Abyssal Fracture (Extreme)
• New Unreal Trial – The Singularity Reactor (Unreal)
• New Alliance Raid
  • Myths of the Realm Part 3
  • Thaleia
• Duty Support for Stormblood
  • The Drowned City of Skalla
  • The Burn
  • The Ghimlyt Dark
    • Duty support will now be available for all Main Scenario dungeons from A Realm Reborn through Endwalker

With the extension of the Free Trial, this also means that new Free Trial Players will be able to enjoy all dungeons with the Duty Support System!

• Variant & Criterion Dungeon #3 (Patch 6.51)
  • Aloalo Island
  • Three levels of difficulty: Normal, Criterion, and Criterion (Savage)
  • Completion of the Sil’dih Subterrane and Mount Rokkon not required for unlock
  • Explore an exciting new location alongside Matsya
• Job Adjustments (PvE / PvP)
• Crystalline Conflict Update
  • Minimap and UI adjustments
  • New arena: The Red Sands

Due to the regional championship during the European FanFest in October, there will be no changes to the season in 6.5. Additionally, the upcoming Season Eight will run from Patch 6.48 (August 8) until Patch 6.51 (Late October). Naoki Yoshida did not specify if the current Series will also last longer or not. Stay tuned for updates either on the Lodestone or the next Live Letter

• Island Sanctuary Updates
  • New sanctuary ranks and visions
  • New gathering area in the wilds
  • New materials, craftable items, crops, animals, isleworks handicrafts, and structures
  • Felicitous Favors
    • Unlocked with the completion of Patch 6.5 sanctuary progression
    • The Felicitous Furball will issue individualized requests for handicrafts production
    • Shipping these handicrafts yields special tokens tradeable for exclusive rewards
• Fall Guys Collaboration (Patch 6.5x)
  • A Fall Guys Collaboration is coming to the Gold Saucer!
• Miscellaneous Updates
  • New Custom Deliveries: Margrat
  • New consecutive aetherial reduction function for collectables
  • Green dot indicators on newly logged fish in the Fish Guide
  • Ability to store optional items in the armoire
  • IL restriction for Duty Roulette: Alliance Raid based on level
  • Option to sort teleport destinations by expansion (Can be enabled from the teleport settings menu)
  • New reward for obtaining all trial mounts in the 6.x patch series
  • Free Trial Expanded to include Stormblood
    • Coming with the release of Patch 6.5

What’s to Come in Patch 6.55

• New Main Scenario Quests, Growing Light Part 2
• Endwalker Tribal Alliance Quests
  • Requires completion of the following Arkasodara, Omicron, and Loporrit tribal quests: “The Hippo Riders,” “Life, the Universe, and Coffee Beans,” and Dreams Come True”
• Tataru’s Grand Endeavor Continues
• Somehow Further Hildibrand Adventures
• Further Manderville Weapons

Merchandise

As ever, the last portion of the Live Letter was devoted to numerous updates on available or upcoming merchandise. Along the already released mount Garlond GL-IS, Yoshida also announced new emotes, one of which is called “Advent of Light” showing our Warriors of Light doing a Three Point Hero Landing. All of these are currently available and discounted, the same as the new Orchestrion Roll Sets.

For physical releases, the fifth Arrangement album “Forge Ahead” will release in December 2023 and will feature piano arrangements by Keiko as well as band arrangements by The Primals. Pre-orders for the FFXIV-themed High-End Turntable are now open as well and vinyl fans can be assured that both the design and base-model selection was overlooked by sound designer Masoyoshi Soken himself.

Art lovers in North America can now also order the previously Japan exclusive artworks shown in the slideshow below.

And last but not least, Naoki Yoshida reminded us that the special site for the 10th anniversary is still getting regular updates throughout the year and thanks both the live attendees of the North American FanFest as well as the fans online all over the world for making this anniversary even possible.

All images courtesy of Square Enix.