Brave Warriors of Light in Final Fantasy XIV are likely experiencing the same – Dawntrail has been lonely due to its weaknesses so far. But the new Beastmaster brings fresh air to MeinMMO editor Alex.
Currently, those playing Dawntrail despite its weaknesses have not had it easy. Many have given up or only sporadically check in to their favorite MMO. The open world has been barren outside the larger cities.
I have been playing FFXIV continuously since 2015 and Heavensward, but never has the MMORPG felt as empty as it does right now. Occasionally I see a collector or a newcomer, but the world chat is dead, and even in my guild, for which I switched from my beloved Dark Knight to a White Mage in Dawntrail, people are only online sporadically.
However, with Patch 7.65, the Beastmaster has now been added, even if it is a limited job before the next expansion Evercold, and it has significantly shaken things up there (at least for now).
Here you can watch the Beastmaster in the trailer:
Finally some life back in the world
When I logged in yesterday for the server launch, I didn’t think much of it. When there are new contents, the known places are usually a bit fuller at first. It’s patch day, I thought. I unlocked the Beastmaster and played until I leveled up a bit. In doing so, I also met a few like-minded folks.
What made my MMORPG heart race afterwards was what came next.
While I was looking for more beasts to tame for my Bestiary, I noticed that the world chat was buzzing much more than before.
In all areas, Beastmasters were bustling about, filling even old places with new life. And not just in the open world. The party search was also full of players wanting to explore dungeons together for beasts.
The Beastmaster brought back the sense of community and made FF14 feel like an MMORPG again like it hasn’t in a long time.
Players exchanged information, asked about locations or specific creatures, and formed some really large groups to attempt a catch together and not let the rarer mobs slip away.
Even in my FC, there was a lot of activity, and when you looked at the member list outside of raid time, everyone was playing as Beastmasters, teaming up and sharing information.
I had not expected such a thing to happen at the server launch. Sure, a new patch always makes the world a bit fuller at first, and the Beastmaster was highly anticipated by many, but I hadn’t expected this scale.
The collecting frenzy has gripped us and binds us together like no content from Dawntrail before.
The worry about temporary fun
With all the euphoria last night, it remains to be seen how long this community enthusiasm can last. After all, the maximum level for the Beastmaster is only 50 and they are reached quickly. The Bestiary currently only consists of 2 pages that you can fill with about 50 monsters.
Considering that the new expansion will “only” come out in January 2027, this seems little. It is therefore unfortunately likely that the MMO euphoria will only last a few days, perhaps a week, and then sadly dissipate once most have “played through” the Beastmaster.
Still, it was a nice and really needed moment, and I hope many of you can take it with you. For my part, I hope this was just the beginning and that Evercold, when it is released early next year, can build on it.
Were you there too and have you already played the Beastmaster? What do you think of the new job? Let us know in the comments! Are you still in the middle of it or do you even have to unlock it first? We have a few tips for you on how to level up quickly if that’s your goal: In FF14 you can now tame wild beasts, we show you how to optimally reach the highest level.
Your opinion is important to us!
Do you like the article? Then let us know!