System Changes in FFXIV Dawntrail
As with any expansion, there will be many changes related to jobs, systems, currencies, and content. This page will explain all of the systemic changes that will come into effect in Dawntrail releasing in Summer 2024.
System Changes Coming in Endwalker
Dawntrail builds on the ambitious systemic changes introduced in Endwalker, keeping all core gameplay the same and adding quality-of-life updates across the board. If you wish to view changes regarding other topics, visit our Dawntrail changes page.
Raised Level Cap
As with any expansion, the level cap will be raised by ten levels from Level 90 to level 100. This will apply to all Disciple of War, Disciple of Magic, Disciple of the Hand, and Disciple of the Land jobs except for the limited job Blue Mage. All Dawntrail main scenario content will be for levels 90 to 100 and endgame content will be for players who have finished the main scenario and are at level 100.
Combat Changes
Along with the level cap increase and additional actions, players will see a multitude of changes to how they interact with the combat system. The most prominent is the Action Change Setting, which allows players to individually choose whether or not a button with a follow-up action will change to that action upon execution. For example, a Paladin player can choose to execute their Royal Authority combo using one button for the entire combo or three buttons for the entire combo. This will help condense hotbar space for button-intensive jobs.
In addition, role actions will receive quality-of-life changes at the level cap.
- Tank's Reprisal ability will have its duration increased to 15 seconds, from 10 seconds.
- DPS's Second Wind ability will have its potency increased.
- Melee DPS's Feint ability will have its duration increased to 15 seconds, from 10 seconds.
- Ranged DPS's mitigation ability will have its effectiveness increased to 15%, from 10%.
- Caster DPS's Addle ability will have its duration increased to 15 seconds, from 10 seconds.
- Caster DPS and Healer's ability Swiftcast will have its cooldown decreased to 40 seconds, from 60 seconds.
Graphical Update
The major update in this expansion lies in the gigantic graphical update. We have a dedicated page going over the changes to materials, textures, and more.
Fantasia Update
A phial of Fantasia, purchaseable from the FFXIV Online Store, allows players to modify the appearance of their character. With the large-scale graphical update coming in Dawntrail, the developers have decided to push some long-awaited changes to the item. First, all players will be able to receive a free Fantasia from a low-level quest, allowing them to change their appearance once for free. This will ensure all players are satisfied with their character's appearance after the change.
Second, the Fantasia will allow players to change their character's appearance as much as they want within a 60 minute window. Previously, Fantasias were limited to a single use, and players could not see their character in in-game environments before committing to the usage. After Dawntrail, players can edit their character as many times as they want within the window. This window only counts time spent in-game, meaning players have the entire 60 minutes to view their character in the stunning new environments of Dawntrail.
Strategy Board
A new in-game system to denote raid strategies and share them with fellow players will be introduced, creating an in-game version of popular tools such as Raidplan and Toolbox Gaming. Players will be able to depict positioning, enemy AoEs, and waymarks on the arena. By having an in-game method to share strategies, players will not have to rely on various third-party sites and guides to understand the various strategies with odd names the community comes up with. Rest assured, as Icy Veins will continue to provide quality guides for all endgame content.
Privacy Improvements
Final Fantasy XIV's in-game systems have been criticized for not having systems to prevent targeted harassment and stalking. The developers have made enhanced privacy features to ensure that all players can feel safer in their online interactions.
Blacklist Update
7.0 will see improvements to the blacklist feature in Final Fantasy XIV. Previously, the blacklist only removes text chat from blacklisted players. After the 7.0 update, a blacklisted character's model will also be hidden and this will apply to all characters on that player's service account. It will be shown in duties, but their name will be displayed as "Unknown."
In addition, the Mute List feature will be added. This functions similar to the current blacklist feature, meaning text chat from muted players will not be displayed. When necessary such as in duties, players can opt to temporarily see anything muted players have written.
Term Filter
Players can now individually filter messages that contain specific terms. This will apply to all public chats, including Say, Tell, Yell, Shout, and /emote. This will not apply to any private chats, such as party, linkshells, or Free Company chat. This data is stored client-side.
Estate Explusion
Free Company masters and estate owners now have the ability to expel unwanted players from their personal housing. Blacklisted players will automatically be removed from personal housing if they attempt to enter, and other members of the Free Company or housing tenants can be designated to have access to this function as well.
Enhanced Lodestone Privacy Settings
Players can now limit certain aspects of their public lodestone page such as achievements, friends, and even the entire profile itself. Players can also remove their characters from the public lodestone search function. In addition, a block list will be added to the lodestone that functions similarly to the blacklist in-game, and the blacklist will also apply to the lodestone.
Changes to System Requirements
With the large-scale graphical update, the developers have had to increase the minimum and recommended system requirements necessary for playing Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail. Below are the new minimum and recommended specs players should aim to have on their system. Console players on the latest generation will have no trouble meeting the minimum requirements, but players looking to run the game with high fidelity should look for tech upgrades from the latest generation.
New System Requirements
The minimum system requirements are as follows.
- Operating System: Windows 10 64-bit or Windows 11 64-bit;
- CPU: Intel Core i7-6700 or higher;
- Memory: 8GB RAM;
- Available HDD/SDD Space: 140GB or more using a HDD;
- Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 or higher or AMD Radeon RX 480 or higher;
- Screen Resolution: 1280x720.
The recommended system requirements are as follows.
- Operating System: Windows 10 64-bit or Windows 11 64-bit;
- CPU: Intel Core i7-9700 or higher;
- Memory: 16GB RAM;
- Available HDD/SDD Space: 140GB or more using an SSD;
- Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 or higher or AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT or higher;
- Screen Resolution: 1920x1080.
Xbox Version
Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming took to the stage during the North American Fanfest to introduce the Xbox version release of Final Fantasy XIV. Players from all systems will be able to enjoy cross-play with each other. To learn more, visit our page dedicated to helping our new Xbox Warrior's of Light.
Miscellaneous System Adjustments
Below is a list of system adjustments or quality-of-life changes that will be added in Dawntrail.
- An option to hide nearby players when close to an NPC or quest object will be added. This will prevent players from overcrowding a quest objective during periods of heavy traffic.
- Emotes and recipes for delivery items will be accessible from the duty list. Players can use emotes needed for quests by clicking on the icon displayed in the duty list.
- Facewear accessories are now a unique category. Spectacles previously available via Fashion Accessories will be recategorized as facewear.
Changelog
- 14 Jun. 2024: Updated for the Dawntrail Live Letter.
- 16 May 2024: Updated for the Job Actions Producer Live Letter.
- 04 Apr. 2024: Updated for the Producer Live Letter.
- 07 Jan. 2024: Updated for the third keynote.
- 02 Aug. 2023: Page added.
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This guide has been written by Lyra an accomplished raider in FFXIV and has written raid guides for the game for the past five years. You can follow him on Twitter and he streams raids on Twitch.
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