Final Fantasy XIV is currently experiencing a tough time with the ongoing expansion Dawntrail. There is much criticism from players, which MeinMMO editor Alex can understand. But he is confident: with Evercold, a time is approaching that will not only restore the MMORPG’s former glory.
“Dawntrail” hasn’t been good for Final Fantasy XIV – honestly, there isn’t much to sugarcoat. In addition to considerable criticism from the player base, the MMORPG also faced the largest player loss since the previously weakest expansion “Stormblood”.
I can understand it. While I had significantly more fun with Dawntrail than seemingly many other players, I also find that it lacks in certain areas for an actual reboot after the saga surrounding Hydaelyn and Zodiark.
Of course, the new beginning could and should not continue in the same epic intensity story-wise, as Endwalker did with the conclusion of the saga, or Shadowbringers with its climax. Therefore, it was expected that it would be more shallow here, which is definitely manageable.
Whether one really had to become the sidekick of an NPC for this can certainly be debated, just like the quality of the story itself. However, the weakness of the story could have otherwise been compensated for with content and changes.
While the raid series around the Arkadion was extremely well received and became one of the best and most popular raid series of the MMORPG, other content such as Cosmic Explorations or Crescentia faced backlash or could not compensate for the other deficits.
Also, the changes and innovations for the game systems were rather meager. Even if a new limited job, the Beastmaster, is added on September 8, I am sure that it will not save the expansion.
When the first in-depth information about the innovations and content of Evercold arrived, I knew: This will be something! Players will surely come back, experiencing FF14 not only in its former glory but also seeing that the developers have primarily learned from Dawntrail.
Courage for what matters to players …
Why will Evercold be really good? Individualization is emphasized in the new expansion and forms not only an immense focus of the innovations, but also significantly enhances one of the greatest strengths of the MMORPG.
Be it in styling their characters’ appearance – for example, through options to layer makeup, hide war paint for Miqo’te, or adjust the horns of the Au’ra – or through new action skins that can change your animations.
The combat system will also be revised and further developed with an additional option called “Evolved,” which will significantly address the individual characteristics of each job and give players more freedom in their combat style – something that has also been desired due to the increasing homogenization of the jobs.
Additionally, players will soon be able to decide in which order they want to explore the story and areas of the expansion.
This way, producer Naoki Yoshida and the team are not only discarding their previous principle of keeping their design absolutely accurate to the lore, but also giving players numerous options they have been wishing for years. And those are just some of the biggest examples.
So when Evercold is released in January 2027, it will give players significantly more freedom. A step that could significantly change and modernize the feel of FF14 if it is implemented as well as it sounds.
The setting and the development of the story also show that the developers fundamentally know what their community likes, as the vibe and production greatly remind of the best times of the MMORPG during the expansion “Shadowbringers”.
The choice signifies a return to the old epic and brings the character back into focus as a creator of new legends. An aspect that will likely counteract one of the biggest points of criticism.
… and to the risk
With the new freedom, especially in the combat system and in content selection, also comes a certain risk – especially regarding balance. It will not be easy to get the various systems and innovations under control when, for example, players with various levels and gear regularly come together in content.
Moreover, the innovations deviate noticeably in theory from the “known FF14 formula.” This is also necessary if the MMORPG wants to evolve but also carries the risk of facing backlash from long-time players because it is too “different” and does not reflect their beloved game enough.
However, I believe this is exactly the right path that FF14 needs right now to grow again.
I was on site at the Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival in Berlin from July 25-26, 2026, and could get an impression. You could tell that the team, especially Naoki Yoshida, has taken the criticism during Dawntrail and from the last years very much to heart and that their ambition has now been stirred to prove that they recognize their complacency and will do everything possible to change that.
The upcoming changes show that the team is ready to overhaul old systems and involve players more in the decision-making of how their individual gaming experience should look. Evercold could thus be just the salvation that Final Fantasy XIV desperately needs.
At the Fan Festival in Tokyo in October 2026, there will once again be a whole bunch of new information, including the second new job. Everything that is currently known and what you can still look forward to can be found in our overview, as my mentioned examples are just a small part: Final Fantasy XIV: Evercold – All about release, trailer, platforms and more
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