The dates for the upcoming fan festivals for Final Fantasy XIV in the USA, Europe, and Japan have been announced. However, they are scheduled later than in previous years. Accordingly, the next expansion 8.0 may take some time to arrive.
Update from August 28, 2025: In a message to fans on finalfantasyxiv.com, Director Naoki Yoshida discusses, among other things, the newly announced Fanfest dates. He also has an exciting announcement to share:
Thank you all so much for your support thus far, and we hope to have the pleasure of your company as we continue along this incredible journey for years to come. (And one more thing: for those wondering what comes after the Japan Fan Fest…while I can’t give any details just yet, rest assured you won’t have to wait long.)
As we understand it, the next expansion for Final Fantasy XIV will be released shortly after the Fanfest in Tokyo, so probably sometime in the winter of late 2026 or early 2027.
Original message – When are the next fan festivals? On August 27, Square Enix announced the new dates for the upcoming fan festivals for Final Fantasy XIV. In 2026, it will once again be held in the USA, Europe, and Japan. Here are the dates:
- April 24 and 25, 2026: Anaheim, California, USA – Anaheim Convention Center
- July 25 and 26, 2026: Berlin, Germany – Messe Berlin, hub27
- October 31 and November 1, 2026: Tokyo, Japan – Makuhari Messe
This will be the first European fan festival to take place in Germany since Frankfurt 2017. Currently, there is no information about ticket sales, but it is expected to be announced later on the official website.
However, the dates slightly deviate from the usual rhythm of Final Fantasy XIV, which could mean that the next expansion will arrive later than expected. MeinMMO editor Sophia Weiss was on site at the fan festival in London 2023 for you. Here are some impressions:
Is 8.0 for Final Fantasy XIV coming much later than expected?
What was the previous expansion rhythm of Final Fantasy XIV? The previous rhythm for Final Fantasy XIV saw a major X.0 update approximately every two years until Endwalker:
- A Realm Reborn (Base Game), Version 2.0: August 2013
- Heavensward, Version 3.0: June 2015
- Stormblood, Version 4.0: June 2017
- Shadowbringers Version 5.0: July 2019
- Endwalker, Version 6.0: December 2021
- Dawntrail, Version 7.0 (currently): July 2024
The later release of Endwalker in winter 2021 instead of summer was due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The approximately 2.5 years wait for Dawntrail was also presumably linked to the pandemic, and was seen as a return to the regular rhythm with a summer release.
Why would fan festival dates correlate with the release of 8.0? If the developers do not redesign their entire tried and true announcement pattern for 8.0, it could happen that the expansion goes live only at the end of 2026 or even in spring 2027. This is also supported by the new message from Naoki Yoshida; see also the update in this news from August 28.
So far, the next expansion for the MMORPG has always been announced at the US festival. At the European festival, the release date was revealed, and the final bits of information were provided at the event in Tokyo before a release of Patch X.55, followed by about 6 months of information and update pause until the release.
If the developers use the US fan festival as usual for the announcement of 8.0, the name, setting, and initial information should be announced in April 2026. The release date will presumably be released in July 2026 at the Berlin event. Finally, the fan festival in Tokyo will take place at the end of October, beginning of November.
Of course, Square Enix could then release version 8.0 relatively shortly after the festival in Tokyo. However, it is likely that Patch 7.55 will follow first. The release of the new expansion after Dawntrail could therefore fall into April or May 2027 – if not even June or July. Wich would mean about three years of waiting time.
A release in June or July 2026, which would be a release according to the old schedule, is not possible with the current dates. This is also supported by Yoshida’s latest statement.
At this point, it is not known whether and to what extent the marketing measures for an expansion 8.0 for Final Fantasy XIV may have changed, or whether Square Enix essentially sticks to the old scheme. As soon as there is news, confirmed information about the fan festivals or the upcoming expansion, you can read about it on MeinMMO. During gamescom 2025, we were able to talk to Naoki Yoshida and he told us how he would design a new MMORPG today.
