Unveiling the Spectacular Secrets of Final Fantasy 14's Dawntrail Expansion

Highlights

The fifth expansion of Final Fantasy 14, titled Dawntrail, was showcased at the 2023 Las Vegas Fan Fest. The event revealed an exciting teaser trailer, offering a glimpse into a captivating new environment filled with vibrant adventures and a strong emphasis on exploration.

The expansion will occur in the continent of Tural, a vibrant and culturally diverse destination that serves as the primary backdrop. Players will come across different races, tribes, and an additional allied tribe known as the Pelupelu.

Dawntrail will introduce fresh zones, dungeons, and trials. Additionally, the expansion will bring a graphical upgrade for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, enhancing lighting, shadows, and reflections. New system requirements, including suggested graphics cards, may be applicable.

The 2023 Las Vegas Fan Fest set the stage for the future of Final Fantasy 14 as Square Enix unveiled the first teaser trailer for the highly-anticipated fifth expansion, Dawntrail. Following the conclusion of the Endwalker storyline in Patch 6.5, Dawntrail will bring a significant shift in the game's narrative, focusing on themes of exploration and exciting adventures under the sun.

Moreover, technical enhancements will be implemented upon the release of Dawntrail, giving Final Fantasy 14 a visually stunning makeover that will perfectly complement the new in-game environment. During his keynote address at the 2023 North American Fan Fest, game producer and director Naoki Yoshida shared a few initial details about Dawntrail. However, fans can expect more information to be unveiled at the upcoming London and Tokyo Fan Fests in October and January respectively, which may reshape current perceptions surrounding this eagerly-awaited expansion.

The New World of Tural and Its Golden Secrets

In Final Fantasy 14 lore, the continent of Tural, formerly known as the New World, will be the primary location in the Dawntrail expansion. Situated southwest of Vylbrand - the island continent housing Limsa Lominsa - the Warriors of Light and the Scions are summoned by a mysterious patron to Tural. Their mission is to aid in a competition for the succession of Tural's next ruler. Tural draws inspiration from Mesoamerica and boasts numerous races, tribes, and cultures.

Tuliyollal, Tural's magnificent capital city, will serve as the central hub for players in Dawntrail, much like Old Sharlayan in Endwalker. Despite having less advanced technology compared to previous capital cities, Tuliyollal captivates with its lively culture and thriving trade. It stands out as one of the most vibrant locations in Final Fantasy 14. Furthermore, Tural is one of the few places where Sharlayan has established a maritime trade agreement. This serves as a symbolic and political gateway for the Warrior of Light and their companions to traverse in Dawntrail.

Discovering New Sights and Facing New Threats

The Mamool Ja, a lizard-like race featured in the Blue Mage job quests and scattered throughout La Noscea in various FATEs, are one of the prominent tribes players will encounter in Tural. Ruling Tuliyollal is the two-headed Mamool Ja named Gulool Ja Ja, a reference to a character from Final Fantasy 11. Alongside the majority Mamool Ja population, other races such as the Hyur, Hrothgar, and the Pelupelu coexist in Tural. The Pelupelu, a diminutive bird-like race introduced in Final Fantasy 10, will become a new allied tribe for players to engage with through quests after the release of Dawntrail.

Although the primary concept of Dawntrail was initially intended to depict a division between the Scions, the historical context of Final Fantasy 14 implies that Dawntrail's narrative may encompass more than merely Tural's struggle for succession. Apart from Tuliyolllal, the city situated in the northern region of the continent, Dawntrail's central plot would also transport players to unexplored areas presenting unique obstacles and diverse surroundings.

Yoshida mentioned that Yok Tural, a region in Tural, would be a prominent area for players to explore, particularly showcasing different types of plant life. The mountainous Urqopacha is inhabited by a fallen empire of giants, while the rainforest of Yak T'el can only be reached by airship from Tuliyollal.

Although there are typically six zones in expansions, the remaining zones in Dawntrail have yet to be disclosed. Nonetheless, each new zone will introduce fresh dungeons and challenges for players to face. Yoshida kept details of these challenges under wraps, but did reveal that Valigarmanda, a serpent-like Esper from Final Fantasy 6, would be among the adversaries. Prior to Endwalker's release, Yoshida confirmed that the Magus Sisters and Anima would also be foes, but avoided mentioning whether they would appear as dungeon bosses or Trial bosses, to avoid spoilers.

The Graphical Update and New PC System Requirements

Valigarmanda, despite not ranking among the most formidable Summons in the annals of Final Fantasy, possesses a unique capability to harness the powers of fire, ice, and lightning. The possession of such elemental versatility is a rarity. The specific role Valigarmanda will assume, whether as a formidable dungeon boss, a challenging 8-player trial, or an enigmatic entity, remains concealed within the depths of Dawntrail's main storyline, eagerly awaiting discovery by players.

By the time Dawntrail is released, Final Fantasy 14 will be edging closer to its 11th anniversary since its relaunch as A Realm Reborn. Consequently, the game's graphics have noticeably aged. Fortunately, Dawntrail promises to deliver an impressive graphical overhaul for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S players. Expect enhancements to the lighting, shadows, as well as revamped reflections on characters' armor and eyes. This graphics update will undeniably elevate the visual experience in Final Fantasy 14.

Square Enix emphasized that all the showcased work at Fan Fest may undergo changes, and reiterated that the PS4 version of Dawntrail will not receive the graphics update. While Square Enix assured that PS4 support will continue for Dawntrail, the timeline for the end of PS4 support in Final Fantasy 14 remains uncertain.

The open beta for the Xbox Series X/S version of Final Fantasy 14 will begin a few months prior to the release of Dawntrail, and it will only be available as a digital download. The Xbox Series X version will offer support for 4K resolution and leverage the system's hardware for faster load times.

Two New Jobs and The New Level Cap

However, in order to enjoy the enhanced visuals, it is necessary to update the system requirements on your PC. The recommended graphics cards for playing Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail at 1080p are the Nvidia RTX 2060, the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT, or even more powerful options. Although the updated system requirements are not significantly higher than the current recommendations of a GTX 970 or a Radeon RX 480, it is advisable for PC players of Final Fantasy 14 to determine whether an upgrade is necessary prior to playing the game.

In the upcoming expansion, Dawntrail, the level cap in Final Fantasy 14 will be increased by 10, reaching the prestigious level 100. This means that all existing Jobs will receive new abilities and adjustments to their previous skills. Additionally, two new Jobs have been confirmed for Dawntrail, with one focusing on melee DPS and the other specializing in caster DPS. While it was expected that two DPS Jobs would be introduced, the inclusion of another melee DPS Job in Endwalker breaks the pattern of previous expansions, where Jobs with the same role were not added consecutively.

Yoshida would not provide further details about the identities of the new Jobs, but he dropped a mysterious hint that experienced Final Fantasy 14 players quickly noticed. During the keynote, Yoshida wore a t-shirt featuring artwork from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, sparking speculation among players. While there have been guesses of Jobs like Corsair, Pictomancer, and Green Mage, most players believe that the new melee DPS job will wear Scouting armor, which is currently exclusive to the Ninja Job.

In addition to Dawntrail, Yoshida shared his plans to continue Final Fantasy 14 for at least two more expansions over the next decade. He emphasized that players who want to know more about Dawntrail should stay updated on the London and Tokyo Fan Fests in the upcoming months.

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