The developers of Final Fantasy XIV discussed plans for the next 10 years in a new Live Letter. One major change concerns the graphics, which are set to be significantly improved with the upcoming expansion. Accordingly, some first screenshots were also shown.
What are FFXIV’s plans for the future? Just in December 2021, the latest expansion Endwalker was released, but already now there has been a significant outlook on the future of the MMORPG:
- The upcoming updates will aim to improve the experience for solo players. For this purpose, all old dungeons will gradually be revamped and equipped with the Trust system. This means they can also be cleared with NPCs.
- For updates 6.1 to 6.5, the continuation of the story, new dungeons and raids, as well as new PvP content named Crystalline Conflict are planned.
- New updates are set to be released every 4 months instead of every 3.5 months.
- A major graphical update for Patch 7.0 has been announced. This is the update that will bring the next expansion.
You can watch the full recording of the event on YouTube:
New expansion makes FFXIV significantly more beautiful
What will change about the graphics? With Patch 7.0, revisions to animations and lighting are planned. Additionally, the MMORPG will be adjusted to become more “aesthetic” for widescreen monitors.
Firstly, adjustments to the characters were shown. Here are the following changes:
- Higher resolution textures
- Better lighting and improved shadow effects
- Both the character as well as new and – if possible – old NPCs will receive an update
- However, it was emphasized that there will be no photorealistic graphics
There will also be many improvements made to the game world, the environment, and the objects within it:
- There will be additional lighting points
- Higher resolution shadows are planned
- There will be additional objects in the game world
- The materials, such as the plants, should become prettier and more plastic-like
- In general, it should be easier to automatically generate beautiful green areas in the future
Will the system requirements increase with the expansion? Yes. Although there are no exact details yet, the developers have already announced that the minimum requirements will be adjusted with the upcoming expansion.
When will Patch 7.0 be released? That will take a while. Endwalker was only released a few months ago and will still be expanded with at least five major updates.
The next expansion will likely be released about two years after the release of Endwalker, around late 2023 and early 2024.
What do you think about the graphic changes? Are they appealing to you or do you hope for even stronger improvements?
What the current state of Final Fantasy XIV is, we reveal to you in this article:
How is Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker 1.5 months after release?
