The Hidden Connection: Final Fantasy 14 Mount Unveils a Brilliant Easter Egg Nod to FF16

Highlights

Final Fantasy 14 players can participate in the Rising event to commemorate the game's 10th Anniversary.

The Rising Phoenix mount, acquired by successfully finishing quests, includes allusions to Ifrit and Phoenix characters from Final Fantasy 16. These specific allusions to Ifrit and Phoenix are unique to the English translation of FF14 and are linked to an NPC named Jude, who bears a resemblance to Joshua from FF16.

A player of Final Fantasy 14 discovered a clever reference to Final Fantasy 16 during the Rising anniversary event. They received the legendary Rising Phoenix mount, which served as a nod to the connection between both games. As both Final Fantasy 14 and Final Fantasy 16 were developed by Creative Business Unit 3, this Easter egg wasn't surprising to FF14 players on social media.

Warning: This article contains significant story spoilers for Final Fantasy 16.

Currently, Final Fantasy 14 players have the opportunity to join a special edition of The Rising, in celebration of the game's 10th Anniversary since its relaunch as A Realm Reborn. The Rising, an annual event in August, holds significance in the Final Fantasy 14 lore, where characters reflect upon the changes that have occurred since the devastating Seventh Umbral Calamity struck Eorzea. As part of the festivities, Square Enix has introduced the Rising Phoenix mount as a reward, obtainable by completing the quests "Siblings Rising" and "What Drives Us" in the city of Ul'dah while The Rising event is active. Interestingly, avid fans of the Final Fantasy series have discovered an Easter egg upon acquiring the blazing mount.

Twitter user Aitaikimochi has highlighted that the description of the Rising Phoenix mount includes references to Ifrit and Phoenix, the primary Eikons of Final Fantasy 16. By hovering over the picture of the Rising Phoenix in the mount menu, certain text appears, reminiscent of quotes spoken by Clive and Joshua Rosfield during various moments in Final Fantasy 16, particularly toward the game's conclusion. In response to the observation, another Twitter user noted that the inclusion of the word "forevermore" appears intentional, considering it was used by Joshua in FF16.

However, some users made jokes about the upcoming crossover between Final Fantasy 14 and Final Fantasy 16, but others pointed out that the mention of Ifrit and Phoenix was only present in the English version of FF14. According to responses, the German text for the Rising Phoenix did not include any references to FF16. Aitaikimochi also mentioned that the quote about the Rising Phoenix mount was spoken by an NPC named Jude, a member of the Studium faculty in Old Sharlayan who crafters may recognize when playing Endwalker. Jude's striking resemblance to the adult version of Joshua might explain why the quote was attributed to him. Whether this was an intentional move by Creative Business Unit 3 remains to be seen.

Final Fantasy 14 players who want to obtain the Rising Phoenix have until the release of Patch 6.5 in early October to participate in the festivities. It is uncertain whether the Rising Phoenix will return as a mount in the Online Store in the future or not.

Final Fantasy 14 is available now for PC, PS4, and PS5, with an Xbox Series X/S version launching in Spring 2024.