If you’re excitedly awaiting the upcoming FFXIV expansion, you might still have to wait. While the critically acclaimed MMORPG’s most recent instalment of the plot, Endwalker, was released in December 2021, it appears that we won’t be able to play FFXIV 7.0 until 2023 because publisher Square Enix says that neither it nor Dragon Quest X will have any additions this year.
We’re currently at around the halfway mark in the post-expansion cycle for FFXIV Endwalker. Since the release of the revamped Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn in 2013, each expansion has been followed up by five subsequent major patches (x.1 through x.5), with minor updates rolling out between those.
Typically, the first three patches after an expansion act as a coda to the story told in the expansion’s main story (known in-game as the MSQ, or ‘Main Scenario Quest’). The final two patches generally set up what’s to come – though there’s sometimes a little blending of the format as required by the stories in question.
FFXIV patch 6.3 arrived on January 10, followed up shortly after by the release of 6.31, which corresponded with the release of the fifth ‘ultimate’ fight against Omega. In the past there have usually been roughly three to four months between major patches, though this pace has slowed marginally during Endwalker with director Naoki Yoshida remarking that he wants to avoid over-stressing the team, especially during holiday periods.
It’s not too much of a stretch then, to have assumed that we wouldn’t be seeing FFXIV 7.0 land in 2023 – some quick maths suggests that patch 6.4 is likely to arrive around May or June, with patch 6.5 landing in September or October. We now have more official confirmation, however – a Square Enix financial results briefing for 2022 notes in its look ahead at the coming year that “No expansion pack releases [are] planned” for its main MMOs, but says it “will focus on retaining users through a variety of operational initiatives.”
FFXIV expansion – Slide from a Square Enix financial briefing that reads: “MMO: No expansion pack releases planned but will focus on retaining users through a variety of operational initiatives.” There are images for Final Fantasy XIV and Dragon Quest X.
Yoshida previously noted that the FFXIV 7.0 story planning event has concluded, meaning the rough outline for the next instalment is already set. He also confirmed that the FFXIV 7.0 level cap is 100 during a livestream for patch 6.3, though says that going beyond this in the future to level 110 or further would feel a little half-hearted.
The FFXIV Race to World First has once again reignited controversy around the use of third-party tools. If you’re playing patch 6.3, be sure you’re up to date on the latest FFXIV Island Sanctuary animals – and our complete FFXIV Island Sanctuary guide should help ensure you’re making the most of your getaway farm.
