On May 27, 2025, Square Enix released the Occult Crescent, the new field operation, in Final Fantasy XIV. Since then, the new relic weapons have also gone live, but players are complaining about the grind and are gathering tips on how to speed it up.
Which weapons are involved? On May 27, Square Enix released the field operation Occult Crescent and thus the phantom weapons, the relic weapons of the current expansion Dawntrail. Relic weapons are special equipment items that usually require a lot of playtime to obtain. However, this is rewarded with flashy and unique designs with special animations.
A high time investment for relic weapons is normal, but the current grind within the Occult Crescent is quite frustrating for some players. One reports, for example, that he has already invested 6 hours of play and expects to need an additional 96. Another player has after four hours only 1 of the 18 required parts. MeinMMO editor Alexander Schürlein has more information on the topic in his article: Fans of Final Fantasy XIV love the new content Kreszentia, but one thing drives them crazy
Apart from the feedback on the grind, players are currently sharing their experiences and approaches in the official forum.
Uneven Drop Rates, Frustration, and Strategies
What experiences have players made? In a thread in the official forum, players of Final Fantasy XIV share their experiences. The original poster, user Jeeqbit, opens the thread with his calculated drop rate: In 29 critical battles, he received 7 Atma. He sees the drop rate at about 25%.
Other players, on the other hand, report that they received very different results even when mixed farming critical battles and overworld FATEs:
- User corvus managed to grind 9 out of 18 Atmas in the Occult Crescent within the first day, obtaining the rest in two additional days via FATEs.
- Completely different was the experience of Supersnow845: He invested a total of only 8 hours to get all the required Atmas.
- KiraRavens, on the other hand, reports that they were out for a total of five hours with four people. One player received a total of 5 Atmas – the rest none. After nine hours, one person would have 9 Atma, and at least KiraRavens and another team member would each have one.
What farming tips emerge from this? All commentators state not only their current possession of Atmas but also how they obtained them. This results in the following tips:
- Critical battles seem to have an overall drop rate of about 23% to 25%.
- If certain Atma are still missing, it is worth farming them via FATEs in the Dawntrail overworld. (See list below)
- With the highest knowledge level (20), Atmas can be farmed faster and easier in the Occult Crescent.
In which Dawntrail zone can you farm which Atmas?
This is what the Atma distribution via FATEs in the overworld of Dawntrail looks like:
- Azurite: Urqopacha
- Verdigris: Kozamauka
- Malachite: Yak T’el
- Realgar: Shaaloani
- Caput Mortuum: Hertiage Found
- Orpiment: Living Memory
After all, the team behind Final Fantasy XIV always seems to have an ear to the community, but it could certainly be that the grind will be adjusted again. The Atma drop rate could thus be increased, or the spawn rate of specific critical battles adjusted. As soon as there is information about this, you will read it on MeinMMO. By the way, there is now news about another new MMORPG: Aion 2 is seen as a great hope for theme park MMORPGs; find out what it has to offer
