Square Enix
Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail Announces Release Date and Final Fantasy IX Extras
The long-awaited Final Fantasy XIV expansion is coming, promising a summer of adventure.
Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail’s release date has been announced. This is a moment of great excitement for all fans of Square Enix’s outstanding MMORPG, and they won’t have to wait too long. The game’s fifth expansion will be available on July 2, with early access starting on June 28. The launch date for Dawntrail is later than expected, but Naoki Yoshida, the game’s producer and director, revealed at PAX East 2024 in Boston this weekend that the release of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree had something to do with the delay of the Early Access release.
“I’m giving you a week to enjoy the Elden Ring DLC and then go on a summer vacation to Dawntrail,” said Naoki Yoshida during the conference at PAX East.
The Connection Between Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail and Final Fantasy IX
There are several details in which Dawntrail is reminiscent of Final Fantasy IX, one of the most popular and outstanding installments in the series. The name of one of the game’s cities, Solution Nine, is one of Zidane’s trance attacks, but the details go much further. If you pre-order, you’ll get a minion of Zidane, the protagonist of the ninth installment, but there’s more.
If you purchase the physical or digital collector’s edition, you will also receive a minion of Garnet, Princess of Alexandria and one of the main protagonists of Final Fantasy IX. Also included is a mount inspired by Ark, the eidolon or summoning spirit from the ninth installment.
Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail and its outstanding new features
The fifth expansion of Final Fantasy XIV will not only mean a new story that will span several chapters, but also a new city such as Tuliyollal and Solution Nine, the latter being a futuristic city that shares its name with one of the trance abilities of Zidane, the aforementioned protagonist of Final Fantasy IX; new areas such as the arid region of Shaaloni or the tropical Kozama’uka.
Dawntrail will feature threats such as the Eliminator, an imposing enemy. Other new classes include the Viper, a DPS-focused melee fighter who uses two one-handed swords that can be combined into a two-handed weapon, and the Pictomante, a ranged DPS who uses a brush and special paint to transform magic into colorful abilities that can destroy his enemies and empower his teammates.