Patch 7.2 for Final Fantasy XIV is live and brings adjustments to one of the oldest classes. Players are now concerned and wondering if the latest heavy class is becoming too easy.
What has been adjusted? The job Black Mage, which has existed since version 1.0 and the 2.0 relaunch, has undergone significant changes with patch 7.2. In particular, the execution times (cast times) have been reduced:
- The spell
Ice
, for example, now finishes in 2 seconds instead of 2.5. Reductions were also made forFire
,Freeze
,Flare
,Icycle
and more. - Additionally, the duration of
Ley Lines
, a location-based buff, has been shortened. - The effect duration of
Light Fire
andShadow Ice
from Elemental Mastery has been completely removed.
This makes the job more dynamic and plays faster, as players no longer have to stay in one place for a long time to finish the cast. However, some players are not pleased with this.
Too similar and too easy – It also affects the Black Mage
Why does it concern players? The changes were already noticed by players during the last Letter from the Producer on March 14, 2025. In the official forum for Final Fantasy XIV and on Reddit they discuss the changes. Among other things, the developers are accused of homogenizing their classes:
The Black Mage was until patch 7.2 the job with the longest cast times, which required planning and foresight from players who wanted to deal optimal damage. With the shortened cast times and the removal of the countdowns for Elemental Mastery, the class would become much easier. The mage classes would also gradually feel more similar in gameplay.
User Supersnow845 on Reddit even compares the changes to healer damage: Yeah, so if these changes go through for the Black Mage, then Black Mage will be on the level of complexity of healer damage without the healing.
Additionally, the accusation keeps coming up in forums and Reddit that the developers are not responding or only responding to the wrong player feedback – namely from those who did not like the Black Mage in its old form.
The familiar casting may become difficult
Why was the Black Mage adjusted so much? In the patch notes themselves, Square Enix remains quite vague. They provide more concrete information on the reasons in the job guide for Final Fantasy XIV:
- As the design philosophy for new combat content changes, the familiar casting (with long cast times) would become difficult or no longer possible. Therefore, many cast times were reduced.
- To counteract damage losses from the expiration of Light Fire and Shadow Ice, these will no longer end.
- Ley Lines would, in turn, restrict the players’ movement freedom, which is why the duration of the buff was shortened.
This suggests that new fights, raids, and so on in Final Fantasy XIV are meant to be faster and demand correspondingly quick reactions from players. A three-second cast timer would contradict this.
By the way, besides the Black Mage, the Summoner has also received significant adjustments and has been mainly nerfed. The damage output has now been significantly reduced compared to patch 7.1. But here too, the design philosophy for new combat content is cited as a reason.
3 seconds standing still is too long for the new content
What could this mean? The combat content of Final Fantasy XIV is likely to become significantly faster and more dynamic. So fast that foresighted positioning and longer cast times are not possible
.
Players can presumably expect battles with short cast times from opponents; possibly even dynamic arenas that require quick position changes.
It is important to note, however, that patch 7.2 is currently only a few hours old and so far only a few players have had the chance to test the new Black Mage in new and potentially more dynamic combat content. MeinMMO is keeping an eye on player feedback.
In addition to the job adjustments, patch 7.2 of course brings a lot more content. There is a new dungeon, new main story quests, a new trial, and in April and May, respectively, the crafter and gatherer endgame plus a new field trip. Naoki Yoshida even promises the largest content update of all time.
