With the sheer power and influence that Elden Ring wields, it’s hardly surprising that the gaming industry wants to steer clear of its berth when the Shadow of Erdtree DLC lands. Final Fantasy XIV is no exception, and director Naoki Yoshida (better known as Yoshi-P to fans) doesn’t shy away from acknowledging it.
At PAX East, he revealed that the team wanted to release the game’s upcoming Dawntrail expansion a week earlier, but FromSoftware’s heavyweight stood in their way. “Elden Ring DLC,” he said, deliberately dragging out the last syllable. “We figured that everyone would be interested in playing [it]. I’ll give you one week!”
“I just want to make it clear. It’s not just because I wanted to play the Elden Ring DLC and then play Dawntrail. Although I am looking forward to it,” he added jokingly, in the wake of the crowd’s raucous laughter.
Trailing after Shadow of Erdtree, which launches 21 June, Dawntrail is now slated for early access on 28 June and a full launch on 2 July. The long-awaited update will kickstart the game’s next decade-long story, bringing a new Pictomancer job, playable female Hrothgars, and more into the world of Final Fantasy XIV.
Other notable new features include a new town called Solution Nine, a “city of towering facades constructed by an entirely different civilization than of Tuliyollal, and the Heritage Found region, which comes “overflowing with lightning energies” and” streaks of purple levin illuminat[ing] the land day and night.”
In the meantime, players can tide over the wait with an in-game Final Fantasy XVI crossover event. Running from 2 April to 8 May, it requires them to reach level 50 and complete the Main Scenario for A Realm Reborn. Completing it will reward the Metian outfit, themed after the costume worn by Final Fantasy XVI protagonist Clive Rosfield, a Torgal-inspired mount and minion, a Clive Triple Triad card, and Orchestrion Rolls featuring 10 songs from the game’s soundtrack.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
