After a tad longer than the typical two year gap between expansions, Square Enix has released Dawntrail, the fifth major expansion for their long-running MMORPG, Final Fantasy XIV. This expansion is now available to purchase on Windows PC, Mac, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S – and is available as a separately purchased expansion to the base game.
With Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker marking the conclusion to the online game’s first major arc, Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail marks the beginning of a new chapter in Final Fantasy XIV. The Warrior of Light will journey to Tural, exploring new areas such as the mountainous region of Urqopacha, the deep forests of Kozama’uka, and the rain-starved plains of Shaaloani. In this new land, claimants compete for the throne of the Dawnservant, with the Warrior of Light accompanying Wuk Lamat as her ally in this rite of succession.
New jobs come with this expansion – with players at least Level 80 able to unlock two new DPS classes – viper and pictomancer. The viper is a close-range fighter using quick, decisive strikes with two one-handed blades and powerful flourishes from a combined two-handed weapon. The pictomancer uses a brush to weave the aether of their imagination into reality, manifesting their motifs into living muses.
Additionally, the game’s first major graphical overhaul brings enhanced texture and shadow resolution, as well as improved material qualities for characters and environments. This update aims to provide a more immersive experience of Eorzea and beyond.
While a full expansion in itself, some content is also being rolled out over the coming years as an incrementally releasing update schedule, including but by no means limited to the new raid series (The Arcadion), a new alliance raid inspired by Final Fantasy XI (Echoes of Vana’diel), a new Beastmaster limited job, a new ultimate raid, new crafting/gathering opportunities and more.
